A PAIR of 21-year-olds who launched an unprovoked ‘thuggish’ attack on a man, leaving him with a badly broken jaw, have been jailed for 10 months.

Jack Lyon had led the attack because he thought his victim had been slow in paying up for a dent accidentally caused to his girlfriend’s car.

And his pal Benjamin Williams joined in the attack on the unsuspecting Andrew Eagles and almost certainly landed the punch which smashed his jaw.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Lyon and Mr Eagle lived close to each other in Penhill.

She said in January the victim stumbled into a car, causing a small dent, and he told Lyon’s girlfriend he would pay to have the damage rectified.

When they presented him with a quote for the repair he asked them to get a couple more and then he would hand over the money.

In the following days he received a threatening message from Lyon over Facebook saying if he didn’t pay up the police would be called and he ‘would be coming for him’.

On the evening of Friday, February 3 Mr Eagles was walking back from Penhill stores to his girlfriend’s car when Lyon and a friend appeared in front of him.

He hadn’t seen him until he was right in his face growling, “When are you going to pay for the car: how would you like it if I jumped over your missus’ car?”

Miss Marlow said Mr Eagles insisted he was prepared to pay but needed to see three quotes for the work. Lyon then punched him to the nose, causing it to bleed immediately, and the man with him then landed a blow to his jaw.

The pair then left and Mr Eagles went to the car where his girlfriend took him straight to the Great Western Hospital.

Because of his dislike of hospitals he left but returned the following day when he underwent an operation to have metal plates fitted to the injury.

As a result of the attack the victim said he has been left depressed and frightened to go out, and that led to the breakdown of his relationship.

Lyon, of Ramsbury Avenue, and Williams, of Shrewton Walk, both admitted grievous bodily harm.

Richard Williams, for Lyon, said his client was full of remorse for what he had done, saying it was on impulse and just one punch.

He said he was frustrated at the time it was taking for Mr Eagles to pay for the damage he had caused.

Rob Ross, for Williams, said his client too had only landed one blow and had stupidly got involved in someone else’s argument thinking he was helping a friend.

“I am sure if he could pull his hand back now he would,” he told the court.

Passing sentence, Judge Euan Ambrose said: “At its core this was an unprovoked attack and a thuggish piece of behaviour.”

He also imposed a restraining order banning the men from being outside within 50 metres of Mr Eagle’s property, unless going to Lyon’s home, for the next five years.