A gang of Dover thugs attacked two Geordies outside a nightclub punching and kicking one of them unconscious.

And as the victim lay on the ground with a suspected fractured eye socket, being helped by his north-eastern pal, one of the yobs, Luke Ransley walked past smirking.

Now Ransley – the only one of the gang to be prosecuted – has had the smiled wiped off his face by a judge who jailed the new dad for four and a half years.

The electrical engineer from Melbourne Avenue, Dover, had admitted carrying out three attacks on the night he was celebrating his 21st birthday in October last year.

"He came across a man defecating on the floor. Ransley was not that man but he was in the toilets at the time. Mr Murray asked the man if that was really necessary and received a hostile response" Andrew Espley, prosecuting

Prosecutor Andrew Espley told Canterbury Crown Court how the Geordies – Peter Murray and Raymond Palmer – were working as painters and builders in the Dover area.

They went with two women to the Funky Monkey nightclub in the town and Mr Murray went to the lavatory.

“He came across a man defecating on the floor. Ransley was not that man but he was in the toilets at the time.

“Mr Murray asked the man if that was really necessary and received a hostile response and they made fun of his northern accent."

The two Geordies and the women decided to leave but were followed out by a gang of four men – including Ransley.

Mr Espley added: “The two men were then attacked by the group and Ransley repeatedly hitting Mr Murray in the head.

“After that another person kicked him very forcefully and Mr Murray ended up unconscious on the ground.

This was a sustained group attack including blows delivered while Mr Murray lay unconscious on the floor.”

Mr Palmer was then kicked in the head by Ransley and when a bouncer, Jack Evans, went to his aid, the thug wrapped a belt around his fist and hit him in the back of the head causing a cut.

Mr Murray later told police he felt the attack happened because he remonstrated with one of the men “for his vile behaviour”.

"He has ruined his life because he now has a six month old son and he and his partner had managed to rent a home. He also had a good job" Paul Hogben, defending

“This was unprovoked and happened because I am a Geordie and not from around here.”

The prosecutor added: “Ransley walked away after the attack but was seen smirking.

“And while this was not a racially aggravated attack, picking on people because they are from a different part of the country is an unattractive feature.”

Paul Hogben, defending, said he had gone out to celebrate his 21st birthday and claimed he was also struck during the melee.

Ransley wept after his lawyer told the court how he felt “disgusted with himself” after being shown a video of the incident.

Mr Hogben added: “He has ruined his life because he now has a six month old son and he and his partner had managed to rent a home. He also had a good job.

“He is willing to go to his victims and apologise to them face to face.”

Ransley admitted charges of causing grievous bodily harm, assault causing bodily harm and common assault.

The judge Recorder Deborah Charles told him: "This was gratuitous violence, perpetrated on a defenceless man and described by the bouncer as sickening to see.

“You walked away and came back to watch with a smirk on your face as if you were proud of what you had done.

“As Mr Palmer said in his statement: ‘The people who did this are cowards’."