THREE people have been given suspended prison sentences for drunken attacks that left a man unconscious in the street with serious facial injuries.

They will have to pay £1,500 to the victim, who suffered a broken jaw and injuries to his nasal bones and an injured eye socket.

Christian Law, 33, rugby tackled the victim to the ground, Laura Carter, 30, took off a shoe and hit him with it, and Jack Wade, 26, punched the victim, said Katherine Robinson, prosecuting.

York Crown Court heard Wade said: "That's what you get for hitting girls."

Barristers for Carter and her partner Law said the incident had begun with the victim insulting Carter and hitting her.

Barrister Nicholas Peacock, for Wade, said: "Everyone involved was drunk."

None had previous convictions.

Sentencing the three defendants, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said: "May it be a lesson for people that if people insult you, walk away, don't take matters into your own hands."

Pub chain manager, Carter, and auto employee Law, both of Milton Avenue, Scarborough, and auto employee Wade, of Columbus Ravine, Scarborough, all pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

The case had been delayed by the pandemic.

The judge said they could have been dealt with before the pandemic as police had had the most important evidence, CCTV of the assaults on November 18, 2018, and had arrested all three within days, but they were not charged for 15 months.

Because of the delay, he suspended nine-month prison sentences for all of them for 12 months and ordered all three to do 180 hours' unpaid work each and pay £500 compensation each to the victim.

Carter broke down crying as she was told she would not be sent to jail.

She had previously been cautioned for assaulting a man with her shoe in 2013.

Ms Robinson said the victim hit Carter and was involved in a melee in St Thomas Street, Scarborough, at 1.45am.

After a pause the victim moved into the street throwing punches. Law punched him and rugby tackled him to the ground.

The other two defendants then assaulted him.

The victim had had to have a plate inserted into his jaw and a second operation under general anaesthetic a few weeks later.

The judge said after watching the CCTV the incident had included an unidentified man apparently trying to stamp on the victim.

Graham O'Sullivan, for Carter, said immediately after hitting the victim with her shoe, she had acted as a human shield to stop him being hit by others.

Oliver Connor, for Law, said he had been trying to protect his partner.

All three barristers said their clients were hard-working and had reduced or stopped drinking since the incident.