TWO youths have been told to pay £1,000 compensation to a man they assaulted in a late night attack.

And the pair were also told by a judge anyone seeing the CCTV footage of the assault in Colchester town centre would be “sickened” by what they saw.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard yesterday how Simon Robdrup was attacked in the town’s Queen Street in the early hours of June 10 this year.

Later on, his attackers were seen in a nearby car park acting out what they had done in a “self congratulationary fashion,” Peter Clark, prosecuting, said.

Teenager Thomas Simpson, 19, of Fingringhoe Road, Langenhoe, and David Knight, 20, of Abberton Road, Fingringhoe, admitted a charge of affray when they appeared in court and were each given 200 hour work orders.

They were also told to pay Mr Robdrup compensation of £500 each and given a four month curfew order between 7pm and 7am, plus £450 costs each.

Recorder Simon Carr told the pair it was only their pleas of guilty and previous good behaviour which had saved them from being locked up.

The judge added: “Anybody watching the CCTV would be sickened by your behaviour.”

Peter Clark, prosecuting, said Mr Robdrup was kicked during the incident but was not left with any serious injuries.

Simpson and Knight said the victim had been aggressive towards them and had assaulted Knight.

Defence barristers for the two said they had been drinking and had acted totally out of character. They were shocked by their behaviour that night.