FOUR binge-drinking thugs who beat up three students in York city centre have been jailed for nearly ten years.

The students, all hockey players, were minding their own business but the attackers had drunk “vast amounts” before the “quite disgraceful” attack at Nessgate corner just after 3am on January 16, 2013, said the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, at York Crown Court.

Another of the four, Leigh James Craggs, 21, took a running jump as he tried to stamp the head of one of the students lying on the ground,landing on the victim’s wrist. An X-ray revealed it was not broken.

In a separate attack six months later, another of the four, Liam Paul Thomas, 21, attacked an acquaintance from behind, leaving medical staff fearing for his life and having a “catastrophic” effect on the victim, who suffered a long-term head injury, said Nick Adlington, prosecuting.

“You epitomise the mob mentality,” the Judge told Thomas, as he jailed him for five years and called his attack on the acquaintance “cowardly”. “You have a propensity for violence.”

Mr Adlington said the students were attacked one after another in a fast-moving five-minute incident in which all three were knocked to the ground and injured.

One suffered a broken jaw that needed a metal plate inserting.

The acquaintance had punched Thomas during a nightclub argument shortly before Thomas hit him in the street near Nessgate corner on July 26, 2013.

Thomas, of Howard Street, York, admitted two charges of grievous bodily harm, one of wounding and one of actual bodily harm.

He was on a community order at the time.

Craggs, of Bootham Square, admitted attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and stealing one of the students’ phones and was jailed for two years and nine months.

Jamie Lee Victor Hunter, 20, whom the court heard started the attack on the students but later tried to stop it, was jailed for nine months and was banned from driving for a year.

He admitted wounding one of the students, and dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance, all committed while on bail for the Nessgate corner incident.

Adam Winterburn, 19, of Howard Street, York, was jailed for nine months after admitting wounding. He had no previous convictions.

Barristers for the four said they were remorseful.

For Thomas, Chris Dunn said he had underlying issues as well as his alcohol problem and was very immature.

For Craggs, Glenn Parsons said the attempted stamping had been a “moment of madness” and he would curb his drinking.

For Winterburn, Ben Campbell said he had changed his friends since the incident.

For Hunter, Mark McKone said the driving offences had been committed on a 50cc moped which was less likely to injure people than more powerful vehicles.