A Hadleigh man who launched an extremely violent attack on a married couple after he had been drinking in a nearby pub has been jailed.

Thomas Thorby, 21, of Lambert Close, Hadleigh, had previously pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and common assault after leaving his victim needing eight stitches to a facial wound.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Thorby attacked a married couple in Hadleigh on December 1, 2019 as they were walking home along Angel Street opposite the Eight Bells pub around 11.45pm before turning into Bradfield Avenue,

Jerry Hayes, prosecuting, told the court the couple were confronted by two men, including Thorby, who attacked the husband who fell to the ground and Thorby began kicking him in the head.

The court heard the wife tried to intervene but was pushed away by Thorby who, when asked again to stop, told her: "He started it, he deserved it."

The husband suffered a split lip, requiring eight stitches, and cuts and bruising to his face and head.

Police viewed CCTV footage from the Eight Bells pub, which showed Thorby drinking from 1.30pm.

Victim impact statements from the couple were read in court, and the husband feared he "was going to die".

In her statement, the wife said her memory of the incident was still vivid and she was left "traumatised".

Kelly Fernandez-Lee, mitigating, said her client had stopped drinking since the incident, and was "extremely remorseful".

Judge Rupert Overbury labelled Thorby's criminal record of 11 convictions for 18 offences "appalling".

Sentencing Thorby on Tuesday, Judge Overbury said: "You took it upon yourself to attack this respectable, quiet couple in an extremely violent fashion.

"Anyone who engages in mindless drunken violence cannot expect any mercy from these courts."

The judge described the sustained assault as shocking and frightening and said: "People can expect to go about their business without being assaulted by mindless thugs like you."

Judge Overbury jailed Thorby for a total of 18 months and he will have to serve half of the sentence in custody before he is released on licence.