TWO men have been jailed for a vicious assault which left a man with a broken jaw.

Lee Whyte and Ross Barrowman got into a fight outside a guest house in Southend before Whyte instructed Barrowman to get his knuckle dusters and attack the victim.

Basildon Crown Court heard the pair attended Bensons Guest House, in Hartington Road, attempting to sell drugs in November last year.

The victim and his girlfriend rented a room there and were not interested in the drugs but offered Whyte two bottles of perfume to sell.

Sentencing them, judge David Owen-Jones said: “A row developed as they expected that to be sold.

“The victim met you outside to check what had happened and you Mr Barrowman punched him with the knuckleduster after you Mr Whyte said ‘take it out and sort him out’. You encouraged it and were part of the joint enterprise.”

The victim was left with two fractures in his jaw, required surgery and was in hospital for four days. Both men admitted the offence.

Judge Owen-Jones added: “This was an extremely nasty and serious offence where a man broke his jaw and does merit an immediate custodial sentence.”

Whyte was also sentenced for one count of burglary after he forced his way into the home of 64-year-old woman in the middle of the night, in January 2017.

The victim was asleep in the sitting room of her flat, in London Road, Westcliff, when she woke up to find a man in the doorway.

He demanded to know where the drugs were to which the victim said she didn’t do drugs.

The man then left but returned with a second man, who was wearing a mask, and they demanded to know who lived in the flat.

The woman told the men she lived alone and they left. She later noticed two knives from her kitchen had been stolen.

Whyte, 36, of Parklands Ufford, Suffolk, was identified after investigators found his blood on a broken window used to force entry.

The court heard Whyte had a long history of violence, with previous convictions for GBH, ABH and assault.

Barrowman, whose girlfriend and father were present, had previously been convicted of possessing a knuckleduster in public.

Judge Owen-Jones sentenced Whyte to two years and six months for the burglary and one year for the GBH to run consecutively.

Barrowman 34, of Christchurch Court, Southend, was sentenced to one year and six months for GBH.

As the men were being sent down, a family member of Barrowman’s shouted abuse at the judge in an emotional outburst.

In the the foul-mouthed tirade the woman, who was dressed in black, claimed Barrowman was innocent. The woman, dressed in black, said: “He didn’t even f****ing do it, you f***ing c**t.”

She then left the courtroom in tears before judge Owen-Jones, who did not react, rose and left the court himself.