TWO youths who took part in an unprovoked baseball bat attack on a teenager have walked free from court.

The Burnley bench was told Andrew Warren Thomas Kyle, 19, struck Max Jones with the weapon, while his accomplice Daniel Mark Howorth, 18, pushed him to the ground in the fracas in Rawtenstall, last December.

After the beating, the 19-year-old victim suffered headaches, nightmares and lack of sleep and was afraid to leave his house.

Kyle, of Whinberry Avenue, Rawtenstall, who has two previous convictions, was told by the justices he had nearly gone to prison but was instead given 240 hours community punishment and a curfew order on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, between 8pm and 6.30am, for the next four weekends. He must also pay £510 compensation.

Howorth, of Hardman Avenue, Rawtenstall, was given 40 hours community punishment and told to pay £175 compensation. He had no previous convictions.

Both admitted assault by beating and Kyle also pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in public.

Mercedah Jabbari, prosecuting, said the defendants pulled up in a car and ran towards Mr Jones. Kyle was armed with the bat and hit the victim over the head.

Mr Jones was knocked to the floor and hit three more times with the bat until it shattered. The defendants eventually ran off. Mr Jones suffered two cuts to his scalp, a black eye and a sore nose.

Keith Pilkington, for Kyle, said the weapon was not a proper baseball bat and could not cause the kind of damage a baseball bat could.

Bill Rawstron, defending Howorth, said he would probably have got a caution if the incident had not escalated.