GATECRASHERS who beat up two party-goers and trashed a house have been given suspended prison sentences.

James Edward Treanor led the uninvited group of five into the Haxby party at midnight after they had been drinking in the Red Lion pub in The Village, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Between them, they kicked and punched two men until one of the gatecrashers called out: "We've done enough, let's go boys," said Nadim Bashir, prosecuting.

The barrister added: "There was blood spattered over the house, on the walls and the carpets, floors and table."

A few hours later, one gatecrasher, Josh Ireland, taunted the first victim on Facebook with the words: "You were on the floor squealing like a little pig."

Mr Bashir said the hostess, previously Ireland's girlfriend, was now the first victim's girlfriend. The second victim was standing by the first when the gatecrashers arrived.

Both victims suffered face and head injuries.

Judge Simon Hickey told the five: "It was a disgraceful episode, a nasty joint attack carried out by a very naive group of youngsters.

"The house was trashed, blood on the carpet, glasses smashed and glass on the floor."

Ireland, now 22, of Byland Avenue, off Huntington Road, York, Jordan O'Hara, now 21, of Seebohm News, Tang Hall, Owen Henry Smith, now 23, and Leon Cattaneo, now 21, both of Gateland Close, Haxby, and Treanor, now 22, of Gairloch Close, Cramlington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, all pleaded guilty to two charges of causing actual bodily harm on February 26, 2020.

None admitted kicking either of the victims.

Their cases were caught in the courts' Covid backlog, exacerbated by social distancing restrictions that prevented cases with five defendants being heard at York Crown Court.

The judge said the two-year delay enabled him to suspend prison sentences for all five because they had not offended since and had shown they had behaved out of character during the incident on November 9, 2018. None had any previous convictions.

Ireland was given a 20-month prison sentence, O'Hara and Treanor 17-month prison sentences and Catteneo and Smith 15-month prison sentences. All the sentences were suspended for 18 months on conditions.

Ireland, Treanor and O'Hara were each ordered to do 180 hours' unpaid work with three-month nightly curfews between 9pm and 6am. They were each ordered to pay £200 compensation to each victim, plus £100 compensation to the householder for the damage.

Cattaneo and Smith were each ordered to do 150 hours' unpaid work and one-month nightly curfews between 9pm and 6am. They were each ordered to pay £100 for each victim and £50 to the householder.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Treanor apologised immediately after the attack and Ireland at the same time as he taunted the first victim.