Two men who violently attacked another man with a five-foot metal pole are today serving lengthy sentences behind bars.

William Robinson, 45, and Jamar Dill, 32, both pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Gary Raynor on July 23 last year.

Crown counsel Cindy Clark said the attack happened in Warwick parish when Raynor noticed a private car speeding towards him. She said Mr. Raynor recognised the defendants who he has known for more than ten years.

?The complainant ran off making his way through nearby bushes and was confronted by the defendants in the car when he reached the area of the Railway Trail and Bulkhead Drive in Warwick.

?The complainant continued running for his safety but was caught by the car and set upon by both defendants.

?The complainant lost his balance, and fell to the ground and the defendants beat him about his body with weapons. Robinson was carrying a rod of reinforced steel and Dill carried a hammer,? she told the court.

She said Robinson struck Raynor about five times on his left arm and about ten times on his left leg using the rod.

The defendants then escaped and left Mr. Raynor lying on the ground bleeding from his injuries.

The prosecutor told the court: ?He was treated at hospital for a number of injuries including multiple bruises to the chest area, a fractured swollen and deformed left wrist, a fractured bruised left elbow, a fractured swollen right leg and a fractured swollen left thumb.

He also had bruising over the back of his head.

?He received further specialist treatment from surgeons and had to undergo an extensive period of rehabilitative therapy.?

When arrested Dill admitted kicking and punching Mr. Raynor but denied having a hammer.

The court heard that Dill had a history of violent offences and had been battling a serious drug problem for many years.

His lawyer Llewellyn Peniston asked Puisne Judge Charles Etta Simmons to jail his client for three years followed by a period of community service.

?My client co-operated with police and immediately admitted his role in the offence. He has been ?chemically? challenged since the age of five and could benefit from drug therapy,? he argued.

Lawyer Darrell Clark, representing Robinson, asked the court to impose a sentence ?proportionate to the gravity of the offence?. He said: ?Four years in jail is way too high. Even three years is too high for either of these defendants.

?My client is not a threat to the community and hasn?t been in prison for a long time. This was out of character for him and is something that will probably never happen again.?

Before passing sentence Ms Simmons told both defendants that their victim had suffered considerable harm and would need further medical treatment for a long period of time.

?There has been an increase in the number of incidents of young men taking matters into their own hands.

?This is causing lawlessness and puts every member of this society in a precarious position,? she said.

Referring to Dill?s violent past she told the defendant: ?You are a threat to society and the community must be protected from you. I also think intensive drug therapy in your case is warranted.?

She then jailed Robinson to five years behind bars and Dill to six years. Dill will spend the last year of his six-year sentence on probation and will have to abide by a number of strict rules including a curfew and drug counselling.