TWO thugs described as “feral dogs” have been jailed after filming a 20-minute revenge beating they inflicted on another man in York.

One of the pair, William Irvine, now 20, was on bail at the time for city centre violence outside McDonald’s in Blake Street, York Crown Court heard.

Michael Bosomworth, prosecuting, said Irvine, with Harry Clish, also now 20, pursued their victim down to the river bank near Lendal Bridge where they repeatedly kicked and punched him as he lay on the ground.

“The victim is completely helpless. There is no sign of any response,” said Mr Bosomworth. “They were taunting him, filming him... it goes on for 20 minutes.”

When an ambulance arrived, Clish told the paramedic the victim “didn’t deserve” help.

The victim had two fractured vertebrae and broken ribs as well as cuts and bruises, said Mr Bosomworth.

“You enjoyed it. You filmed it,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Irvine and Clish.

“You were like a couple of feral dogs with a cornered, wounded animal.

“It was an act of monstrous cruelty.”

Car dealer employee Irvine, of Beaconsfield Street, Acomb, pleaded guilty to two charges of GBH – the riverbank assault and the McDonald's assault, and was jailed for two years.

Air conditioning installer Clish, of Nicholas Gardens, off Hull Road, York, pleaded guilty to the riverbank GBH and was jailed for 18 months.

Lewis Jollie, now 20, of Fenwick Street, South Bank, York, pleaded guilty to the McDonald's GBH and was given a six month prison sentence suspended for 18 months on condition he does 280 hours’ unpaid work.

Mr Bosomworth said when Irvine and Jollie were both 17, they were out drinking in the city centre on September 12, 2018, and had an exchange with a man in his 30s outside McDonald's at about 2am.

The victim went into McDonald's to have some food. When he came out, Jollie got him to the ground and punched him repeatedly before Irvine kicked him four times to the body.

The victim, who had also been drinking, got up and walked down Blake Street, but they chased him and knocked him unconscious.

He suffered facial wounds including one to his eye affecting his vision.

For Irvine, Sean Smith said when sober, he was an articulate young man, but when he'd been drinking was very different.

He had not filmed the incident on the bank and his family was supporting him. His violence had cost him his career.

For Clish, Rod Hunt said he had been drinking and had been “enraged” by seeing a woman punched. He was a hard worker with a good character.

For Jollie, Stephen Grattage said he wanted to join the Army and hoped his conviction wouldn’t prevent him doing so. Since the McDonald's assault, he had changed his drinking habits and his friends. The exchange outside McDonald's had only been “banter” and he accepted he had lost his temper.

Mr Bosomworth said Irvine and Clish, both then 18, had been annoyed when the riverbank victim allegedly hit a young woman in the city centre late on July 12, 2020 and had run after him down to the river bank.