This was the picture of a badly beaten man which led to two drunken thugs being locked away for a brutal attack.

The pair only admitted to savagely beating up the 25-year-old victim after extensive publicity in This Is Essex partner paper the Echo made them realise the seriousness of their crime, a court heard.

The Echo revealed how Sam Winguard was attacked so badly that his face had to be patched up with eight stitches in hospital.

After we ran the story police received a number of calls which led to the capture of James Eason, 21, and 18-year-old Trevor Harris.

When the youths realised how serious the incident was following the publicity, they finally admitted the attack.

Both youths were locked up for four months after they pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to causing Mr Winguard actual bodily harm.

Eason was sent to prison and Harris to a young offenders' institution. Until the assault both attackers were perfectly well-behaved youngsters who worked in the same jewellers' shop, said prosecutor Philip Mobedji.

He said they went out last September 13 and got very drunk. On the way home they stopped their car in Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, became abusive to

Mr Winguard and then beat him up.

They later saw what shocking injuries they had inflicted on their hapless victim when his picture appeared in the Echo, added Mr Mobedji.

Following readers' calls to the police the two were taken in for questioning, but denied any knowledge of the assault or even being anywhere near the scene.

They were petrified of the consequences, said the barrister.

However, the publicity played so much on their minds that in January they decided to own up to the police after more questioning.

Defence barrister Nina Daruwalla said the two youths realised after reading the Echo how serious the incident was.

After time to reflect the attack, Harris of Shepherds Walk, Benfleet, and Eason of London Road, Benfleet, decided to fully accept their responsibilities.

They maintained it was not an unprovoked beating, and claimed words were first exchanged with Mr Winguard - but they did not want to make an issue of it, added Miss Daruwalla.

Mr Recorder Richard Seymour QC gave them credit for their guilty pleas and previous good character, but said there was no alternative but to impose custodial sentences.

Flashback - victim Sam Winguard displays his injuries in the Echo last September

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