THREE men whose behaviour so outraged a judge that he refused to sentence them are today behind bars.

Judge Nigel Van Der Bijl told the three, all from Canterbury, they needed to go to prison to be taught a lesson. His sentiments were echoed at Canterbury Crown Court today by another judge who jailed them each for 27 months.

Aaron Wiles, 23, James Goldfarb, 25, and Stephen Nolan, 25, of Wife of Bath Hill, Mandeville Road, and The Terrace respectively had all admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault last December and been committed for sentence by the city’s magistrates.

Their victims were two students walking through the city centre in the early hours. They were left with cuts and bruises, black eyes and one with a fractured nose after the brawl.

All those involved had all been drinking and the accused were said by their counsel to now bitterly regret the incident.

In February Judge Van Der Bijl said the defendants’ attitudes were despicable, cowardly and pathetic and questioned the justification of pre-sentence reports when custody was almost inevitable. He said he was too furious to sentence but did accede to counsel’s requests for reports.

Judge Timothy Nash today said their alcohol-fuelled behaviour that night was drunken, and unforgivable.

“Students are entitled to walk the precincts of this great city without fear of being attacked by drunken yobs,” said Judge Nash.