A Canning Town man has been jailed for his part in a “violent and unprovoked” attack.

Temitayo Akinola, 21, of Vincent Street, and 20-year-old Teni Lageda, of Hesper Road, Colchester, were each sentenced to six years for GBH with intent on Friday, August 28.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard during the trial that the pair were part of a group of around six men who punched a 21-year-old man to the floor before repeatedly kicking and stamping on his head and face.

The victim, from Clacton, had stepped in to prevent a woman from harassment when he was attacked in Queen Street, Colchester, in the early hours of December 21, 2014.

Det Con Yusseff Rahmani-Manesh said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack on a victim who was trying to assist a young lady being harassed by a group of men during a busy Christmas period.

“The physical injuries were serious, and took some months for the victim to return to some sense of normality.

“The psychological effects on both the victim and his family have been more long term, but hopefully they will now be able to move forward.”