TWO teenagers assaulted a man and kicked him in the head while he lay on the ground unconscious.

Daniel Key and Dean Washington left Michael Priest with unpleasant injuries after the attack outside The Royal Oak pub in Biddulph in the early hours of August 23 last year.

Prosecutor David Bennett told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday Mr Priest had been dancing with friends in the pub, but they decided to leave as several youths were staring at them.

"While leaving the car park area Mr Key said something to Mr Priest. Mr Priest told him to leave it," said Mr Bennett.

"Key then grabbed Mr Priest.

"The complainant was at that stage hit to the side of his face and fell to the ground. He was kicked to the head and rendered unconscious.

"His brother and a friend witnessed him being punched by Key.

"One referred to Mr Priest being kicked twice to the head.

"One referred to Mr Washington running towards the incident and forcibly kicking the victim twice to the head, while he was unconscious. There were at least two kicks. The first was particularly hard and jolted Mr Priest's head."

Mr Priest came round as the police and paramedics arrived.

He suffered bruising and swelling to the left side of his face and swelling to his left arm.

The defendants were arrested on September 22.

Key, aged 18, of Church Road, Biddulph, said he was in the pub with Washington when they and three men started "eyeballing" each other.

One "mouthed-off" and they started "scrapping".

He admitted punching the complainant and kicking him in the stomach, but not the head.

Washington, aged 19, of St David's Way, Knypersley, said inside the pub the two groups were giving each other dirty looks and when outside someone said something to Key and they started fighting.

He admitted hitting Mr Priest "once or twice" and kicking him in the stomach.

Both pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and accepted they kicked Mr Priest in the head.

Paul Cliff, mitigating for Key, said the unemployed teenager was fortunate Mr Priest's injuries were not more serious.

He said since this incident Key has not been drinking in Biddulph and has committed no further offences.

Joanne Wallbanks, mitigating for Washington, said he behaved "completely out of character".

She said: "When he thinks about what he has done, it makes him sick. He is extremely sorry for the way he behaved that night."

Judge Granville Styler said both defendants having no previous convictions saved them from an immediate custodial sentence.

He handed them both a six month sentence, suspended for two years, with 12 months' supervision.

Key, who the judge described as "the instigator", must complete 300 hours' unpaid work and attend the CALM anger management programme.

Washington must complete 100 hours' unpaid work and pay £1,000 compensation.

Judge Styler told them: "Both of you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. You punched and kicked a young man on the floor.

" I do not know what the world is coming to if people have to attack others because they look at them.

"You kicked him unconscious while he was helpless. He suffered unpleasant injuries. Mercifully for you and him they were not particularly serious.

"You are both well advised to keep out of city centre pubs in the future and to grow up."