TWO York teenagers who kicked a father-of-two as he lay on the ground have been sentenced to an eight-month custodial sentence.

Vivienne Walsh, prosecuting, told Selby Youth Court that Stephen Welby, of Scarcroft Hill, York, had suffered extremely serious injuries, which led to him needing facial surgery.

The court heard that the injuries, which included a fractured cheekbone and nose, were so severe that Mr Welby was off work for more than ten months.

Mrs Walsh said that the two 16-year-olds, who were 15 at the time of the attack last September, had been drinking cider when they started throwing stones in Scarcroft Hill.

She said that Mr Welby had been watching television with his four-year-old son when he heard a loud bang and thought a stone had smashed his window. Mr Welby followed four youths on to Scarcroft Green, where a large number of young people were gathered.

Mr Welby had shouted and sworn at one of the youths before hitting him and pushing him backwards on to a fence.

Mrs Walsh said it was at this point that "the violence escalated".

She said that a friend of the youth came over and kicked Mr Welby four times in the head, while the first youth kicked him two or three times in the chest and stomach.

Philip Brown, for the first youth, said that while the attack was explosive it had not been pre-meditated.

Craig Sutcliffe, who represented the second youth, said: "The incident may have started with my client acting in reasonable self-defence of his friend, but he concedes that he went way over the top."

He said that his client admitted kicking Mr Welby while he was on the floor but that he felt "true remorse" about the incident, which he described as a "one-off mistake". Both 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court they regretted their actions and hoped to go on to college and become landscape gardeners.

The teenagers, who pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, received an eight-month detention and training order, which will include four months in custody and four months supervision in the community.

Presiding magistrate Pam Middlebrook said: "We are aware that there was an element of provocation, but we cannot get away from the fact that Mr Welby suffered very serious injuries which required surgery to his face."

Updated: 11:02 Tuesday, October 15, 2002