A MAN was left with a broken leg after being attacked outside a town centre takeaway in the early hours of the morning.

Shaun Keohane and Shaun Ward appeared before Bolton Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced for assault causing grievous bodily harm.

Keohane, of Brookhouse Avenue in Farnworth, was sentenced to two years in jail for the attack and Ward, of Settle Street in Great Lever, to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years.

The pair had been on a night out in Bolton when they attacked Jean Claude Siewe on January 22 this year.

Duncan Willcock, prosecuting, told the court how the pair were outside Shah's takeaway, in Bradshawgate, at around 6am when the victim was seen having some form of disagreement with a woman.

Keohane, aged 22 and Ward, aged 20, went over and intervened and Ward was pushed to the ground by Mr Siewe.

The defendants are then seen to attack Mr Siewe and one eyewitness said that he saw the pair throw four punches and kicks at the victim over a few seconds, including while he was on the ground.

Both of the men then left the scene and were later arrested.

The victim was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital to be treated for leg and head injuries.

Scans revealed that the attack had caused a fracture to a bone in the upper right leg of Mr Siewe, who had to stay in hospital for a week.

He had to walk on crutches for some time after his release from hospital and his leg had to be splintered.

In his victim impact statement Mr Siewe said that he does not think he acted in a way that justified being assaulted so seriously.

Nicholas Clarke, defending Keohane, said that it was a 'reactive offence' and he only assaulted Mr Siewe when he was provoked and described it as a 'moment of madness'.

Michael Johnson, defending Ward, said that his client 'very much regrets his actions' and was remorseful about what he had done.

He added: "This behaviour is out of character for him. He now accepts that whatever it is that went on that he went too far to behave in the way that he did."

Mr Johnson said that Ward had been drinking that night.

The court heard how Keohane has a previous conviction for common assault but Ward was of good character previous to his conviction for this offence.

Judge Graeme Smith said that Keohane was sentenced to two years in prison due to his previous assault conviction, the community order for which had finished just six months before this attack was carried out.

Ward was sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years and as part of his conviction will have to obey a curfew for three months to be at his home address between 7pm and 5am.