A THUG has been jailed for carrying out two brutal, drunken attacks on revellers outside a Southend club.

In one of the attacks, Sam Clayton, 19, of Surbiton Road, Southend, and a gang of four pals punched and kicked a man as he cowered on the floor.

Clayton was jailed for 14 months and banned from all pubs and clubs for two years. He was also ordered to pay one of his victims £250 compensation, when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court for sentencing.

His friend Jonas Pereira, 19, of Forest Avenue, Southend, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was banned from pubs and clubs for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work. Other gang members, Miles Sherlock, 19, of Princes Street, Southend, Grant Bellamy, 19, of Sutton Road, Southend, and Joshua Lake, 19, of Cossington Road, Westcliff, were all sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years. The gang admitted causing grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

The first beating was carried out by Clayton on August 21 outside the Mayhem nightclub in Southend.

Victim Thomas Richardson came out of the club with his girlfriend when he came across Clayton who, Recorder Joe Cooper, said was “looking for a fight”.

Clayton began shouting at Mr Richardson and there was a row.

Clayton shook Mr Richardson’s hand, pretending to apologise, but then punched him in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious.

He continued to punch, kick and stamp on Mr Richardson as he lay on the ground. Clayton then rolled his victim in to the recovery position and kicked him in the face.

Mr Richardson suffered a broken jaw, bruising and swelling to the head.

The second attack by Clayton and a gang of friends happened on November 9, also outside Mayhem .

Victim Charlie Layman left the club and was approached by Clayton. Mr Layman ran off but was chased by Clayton, Pereira, Sherlock, Bellamy and Lake to Southend bus station. Mr Layman tried to seek help from passers-by, who ignored him.

CCTV showed the gang beating him to the ground and then continued to kick and punch him as he lay defenceless.

Mr Layman suffered serious injuries, including a fractured eye socket, and was taken to Southend Hospital.

The court heard Clayton had taken to drink after he learned his grandfather was dying.

Sentencing him, Recorder Cooper said: “Alcohol turned you in to a thug, someone who was violent and aggressive.

“You have let your grandfather’s memory down and you have let your family down. If you had any sense of those people, you would not have acted the way you did. It is extremely lucky for your victims and for you that their injuries were not worse.”