A judge told three teenagers, involved in an early morning assault outside a Huddersfield takeaway, the public are “sick and tired” of such town centre violence.

Sentencing the trio at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC “It was a disgraceful incident, aggravated by the fact each of you was intoxicated with alcohol.”

“It occurred in a public place when other people had to witness it, it was a group attack by three cowardly young men and involved kicking with a shod foot.”

“I have seen the CCTV footage and it was a shocking and brutal thing to do and it is all too common for young men to get drunk and to become violent.”

He said it was fortunate their victim John Tiernan was not more seriously hurt and it was only because all three of them had positive good characters and expressed genuine remorse that he could pull back from immediate custody.

Tashan Samuel, 19, of Oakes Avenue, Holmfirth; Jack Ryan, 18, of Woodhouse Lane, Brighouse and Igors Aleksejevs, 18 of Glenfield Avenue, Deighton, each admitted assaulting Mr Tiernan and were sentenced to eight months in a young offender institution suspended for two years.

They were also ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work, a 15 day activity requirement and a four month curfew from 7pm to 7am. Each was also ordered to pay their victim £250 compensation.

Michael Jowett prosecuting said Mr Tiernan had got some food in a take-away in John William Street around 1.50 am on January 3 and there was an exchange of words with one or more of the group as he left.

Samuel grabbed him around the neck and he was then punched and kicked and his food taken.

After the incident he walked away and took a taxi to his mother’s home and it was only then he realised his condition He was missing a tooth, had a black eye and the side of his face was swollen.

Samuel and Aleksejevs had been approached by police shortly after the violence but at that stage Mr Tiernan had not made a complaint. They were later arrested along with Ryan.

Adam Birkby for Samuel said he was a well-regarded student who was deeply remorseful and ashamed of what he had done.

“He is a 19-year-old man with a bright future ahead of him.” He urged the judge to regard that night’s events as a “blip”. He would lose out on a sports scholarship trip to America because of the offence on his record.

Michael Sisson-Pell for Aleksejevs said he came from a good family but was immature.

“He accepts through me there was no excuse for the violence that was offered on that particular evening in public and three of them fighting one man was wholly unacceptable.”

Michael Collins for Ryan said he was remorseful and ashamed. It was possible receiving bad news about his grandmother’s health that day had affected his attitude that night. He was actively seeking work.