Bouncers get four months for attack

Nicola Soncini, 30, of Gibbon Road, Newhaven, and Scott Jameson, 32, of Abergavenny Road, Lewes, were found guilty by a jury of dragging Gareth Prothoro out of the club and assaulting him.

A third doorman, Kevin Harlow, 30, of St Andrew's Drive, Bishopstone, was cleared by a jury of assault. All three were cleared of affray earlier in the trial after the jury was directed by the judge, Recorder Kenneth Parker QC.

Soncini and Jameson had denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Mr Prothoro, who suffered facial injuries in the attack.

The pair were sentenced on Monday at Hove Crown Court.

Defending Jameson, Jonathan Edwards said: Jameson was a man of previous good character. There were no weapons involved, it was a short lived incident and the injuries suffered by Mr Prothoro were of a minor nature.

Sentencing them to four months each, Recorder Parker said he believed the pair had planned to carry out the attack in revenge for Mr Prothoro biting the manager's ear.

'The injuries were fortunately not severe but you are both large and very powerful men and the attack must have been a frightening and humiliating experience for the victim.'