A ‘cowardly’ attacker from Newton Abbot has been jailed for two different unprovoked attacks on friends who were left with serious facial injuries.

Sam Trendell was caught on CCTV during the more serious assault in a car park in Newton Abbot in which he repeatedly punched and stamped on the helpless victim as he lay on the ground.

The attack carried on for 77 seconds and at one point Trendell picked up unconscious victim Jack Knight, threw him back down so he was lying face up, and went on to punch his face at least six times.

Mr Knight suffered two fractures to his left eye socket, a broken jaw and nose, and spent two days in intensive care and eight days in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. He needed two separate operations and was off work for weeks.

The attack happened in April, nine months after an earlier attack on friend Nathan Meek on the Buckland Estate in Newton Abbot which left the victim with a fractured jaw which had to be fixed with a plate.

The victim of that attack saw Trendell laughing while showing friends pictures of his injuries a few weeks later.

The two victims described Trendell as cowardly, crazy, having a screw loose and being a psycho. Mr Meek said: ‘I saw him laughing about my injuries. He thought they were funny. He was trying to belittle me.’

Trendell, aged 23, of Windsor Avenue, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Meek on August 9, 2017 and grievous bodily harm with intent to do so to Mr Knight on May 6 this year.

He was jailed for eight years by Judge Paul Cook at Exeter Crown Court. He told Trendell: ‘I have seen the photographs of the injuries and they are dreadful. You carried on attacking Mr Knight when he was no more than a sack of potatoes and completely motionless.

‘This was a sustained assault. You were kicking him and stamping on him. You turned him over when he was unconscious and continued to inflict violence on him when he was down and defenceless.’

Mr Gordon Richings, prosecuting, said the first attack happened when Mr Meek was walking home after a party at Trendell’s home. He met Trendell in the street and was punched in the face repeatedly and knocked to the ground.

The second attack at the Market Street car park was caught on CCTV at 2.49am. Trendell was seen beckoning Mr Knight into a dark area where he attacked him.

The attack lasted 77 seconds and Trendell was filmed kicking or stamping on the victim at least six times and punching him repeatedly when he was unconscious.

Mr Knight suffered amnesia as a result of the attack and had no idea of the motive, although he learned later that it may have been a one-night stand he had with Trendell’s ex-girlfriend.

Mr Paul Grumbar, said all Trendell’s offending was the result of binge drinking and he has started addressing his problem while on remand.

He said he is a plasterer with a young child who is a responsible and decent citizen while not in drink.