Two Sunderland attackers jailed for total of 26 years after knifing and beating victim with dog chain

Christopher Reed was hospitalised after the assault by Mark Roberts, 32, and Kyle Dixon, 24, on Hylton Road in Sunderland in the early hours of August 25 last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the married dad suffered six stab wounds to his face and body which caused a collapsed lung and required a chest drain.

He said in a victim statement he has struggled to sleep, eat, work and exercise since the attack that left him with an 11.5in scar on his face.

He added: "My life was taken away and can't get back to how it was. I thought I was going to die that night." Mr Reed had picked out Roberts and Dixon as being responsible for the violence he suffered.

But the men denied involvement in the attack during a trial by a jury in February.

Roberts, of Guildford Street, Sunderland, was convicted of wounding with intent and having an offensive weapon, namely a knife.

Dixon, of Warwick Street in the city, was convicted of wounding with intent and having an offensive weapon, namely a metal dog chain.

Judge Robert Spragg said the victim was "stabbed repeatedly and hit repeatedly with a dog chain".Roberts, who was given an indeterminate sentence for attempted robbery in the past, has been jailed for 14 years.

Dixon, who had just got out of prison when he carried out the attack, has been jailed for 12 years with an extended licence period of two years.

The court heard during the trial Mr Reed had encountered the men while he and a friend, who wanted to buy cannabis, were out in the city.

Mr Reed and his friend turned to walk away after an initial "stand-off" between the two pairs of men.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court: "First Reed then Dixon took that opportunity to assault him."

Detective Sergeant David Reeves, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a cowardly assault which caused distress to the victim and the community.”