Gang members walk free from court after leaving man for dead Lane, of Nangreave Road, Offerton, Stockport who insisted he made no physical contact with the victim admitted affray. He was given a community order for 12 months, ordered to complete 120 hours unpaid, abide by a curfew and pay £250 costs. A third man Oliver O'Neill, 23, of Redford Drive, Bramhall, Stockport - who had been on bail for another vicious attack at the time of the assault on Mr O'Neill - was jailed for 27 months after he admitted two GBH charges. The court heard the attack occurred in January last year after Mr O'Reilly had been for a night out in Manchester with his girlfriend. Both were making their to Piccadilly Railway station when they spotted the thugs walking towards them. Miss Simone Flynn, prosecuting said: "They were pulling over the rubbish bins around the street. He asked them why they were doing this. It was then that these men became confrontational and aggressive. The complainant was not the initial aggressor or in any way confrontational. Lane started "shadow boxing" with Mr O'Reilly before Chapkowski punched him in the face then tripped him up, causing him to fall to the ground. Then victim was then punched and kicked in the face and stomach as he lay defenceless on the pavement before the gang ran off. Mr O'Reilly was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary where he underwent more than 40 hours undergoing X-rays and scans as well as treatment for his injuries. He later said that for two weeks following the incident he felt immediate pain whenever he ate or spoke. He has suffered dizzy spells since the attack and last November went back to hospital after collapsing. A year on he still suffers numbness to the teeth and has to eat on the right side of his mouth. Inquiries revealed O'Neill had just three days earlier been free on bail after fracturing a man's eyesocket during an attack outside a Spar shop in the same area of Manchester. All three thugs later claimed they attacked Mr O'Reilly in self defence. In mitigation for jobless Chrapkowski, defence counsel Miss Katie Jones said: "He is extremely remorseful and wishes to apologise to the court. It is extremely out of character in a misguided attempt to protect his friend.  For sign writer Lane, Paul Hodgkinson said: "He accepts he had been out drinking and engaging in tomfoolery - kicking around bins and that they were confronted. He became embroiled in an argument with a member of the public which he shouldn't have done but that mischief doesn't cross the custody threshold. Passing sentence Judge Martin Steiger QC said: "All three defendants were in central Manchester in the early hours of the morning after drinking a considerable amount. Drink was involved and in particular I bear in mind that O'Neill was responsible for significant bodily harm. Det Con Paul Shacklady, of Greater Manchester Police said: "All this man was trying to do was the right thing. He saw a group of men throwing and kicking rubbish around and like any well-meaning person asked them what on earth they were doing. For his troubles, he was then subjected to a totally unprovoked and mindless attack by this trio. The victim was forced to spend time in hospital on two separate occasions and he has had an operation to fit a metal plate due to a fractured jaw. We are all aware of the outcome of mindless attacks and quite honestly the victim's injuries could have been far worse. It was an appalling attack on a member of the public who was simply doing what many people might be too afraid to do and that is confront those behaving in anti-social way or committing crime. This man should be applauded for his bravery.