A thug who stood by and watched as his friend was "beaten to a pulp" in a grudge attack has been jailed for two years and nine months.

Byron Rainsford, known as Banner, only intervened when he realised victim Owen Washburn had "had enough" and his assailant Luke Page was out of control.

Mr Washburn was subjected to the vicious and sustained assault in his flat in Tunbridge Wells after Rainsford phoned him on the pretence of having a drink together, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

However, the real reason for the visit was for Page to confront Mr Washburn because he believed he had "grassed him up" to social services.

Mr Washborn's injuries included fractures to an eye socket, cheekbone, ribs and sinus from punches, kicks and stamps during the drunken violence.

"You watched as Luke Page set about Mr Washburn with a purpose, beating him literally black and blue, and anyone who sees the photographs [of his injuries] would be disgusted by what they see" - Judge Carey

Rainsford, 25, took no part in the attack, and at one point was believed to have hit Page in an attempt to make him stop, but was to have "facilitated" it enabling Page to gain access to Mr Washburn's home.

Jailing the father-of-one, Judge Jeremy Carey said: "You went into the flat and you watched as Luke Page set about Mr Washburn with a purpose, beating him literally black and blue, and anyone who sees the photographs [of his injuries] would be disgusted by what they see - a man who has had his face beaten to a pulp.

"The only thing that can be said on your behalf is that at some point you had some level of humanity that caused you to realise this had to stop because Page was plainly grossly out of control.

"You did intervene, albeit far too late, and therefore you are being sentenced not for causing grievous bodily harm with intent, which resulted in a nine-and-a-half year sentence for Page, but for wounding, because you enabled that to happen and were, to some extent, participating in it."

Rainsford, who was said by the judge to have a "trully appalling" record with 18 previous convictions for 36 offences, including wounding and assault causing actual bodily harm, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Washburn and handling stolen goods.

He is currently serving three years for burglary and his earliest release date from that sentence is January 27, 2016.

However, Judge Carey ordered that this latest jail term must run consecutively and therefore will not start until that date.

The court heard that after the attack on Mr Washburn on March 16 this year, Page robbed him of his flatscreen TV, a PlayStation and mobile phone.

Page, 28, from Tunbridge Wells, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and robbery and was jailed at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Dickon Reid said Rainsford had known Mr Washburn for two to three years and he called him on the day to say he was "popping around" for a drink, but made no mention of Page being with him.

When Mr Washburn opened the door to his flat, Page barged in and set about punching, kicking and stamping on him.

Page was married to the mother of Mr Washburn's child and throughout the assault he was said to accuse Mr Washburn of grassing him up to social services regarding access.

"Rainsford stood there. He wasn't involved in the assault and at one point he was heard to say to Page 'That's it. He's had enough' and tried to pull Page from Mr Washburn," said Mr Reid.

Kevin Walls, defending, said Rainsford had not "anticipated" the level of assault Page was to unleash, and that once he realised he was losing " all proportion" he reacted "not only vocally but actively".

He also told the court that the underlying cause of Rainsford's offending was alcohol and "hanging around with the wrong people".