A PENRYN Rugby football club player was so badly beaten by two vicious thugs after going to the aid of a man they were attacking that paramedics at first thought he'd been stabbed.

Dan Martin was plastered in blood following the assault in Falmouth on October 4 last year but says he holds no animosity towards his two attackers, Samuel Trengove and Lee Nankivell, of Falmouth.

Last Thursday both men were given 26 weeks in a young offenders institute suspended for two years by Judge Jeffrey Rucker at Truro Crown Court.

Judge Rucker described the attack on Mr Martin and van driver Nigel Pascoe as the most "disgraceful episode" he had listened to for a long time and described their behaviour as "outrageous."

Speaking to the Packet this week, Mr Martin said he had just stopped to help someone who was being beaten up and his attackers had turned on him.

"I can't remember much of it," he said, "but one of them hit me over the back of the head with a beer can and I was bleeding really, really heavily. The paramedics had to check that I hadn't been stabbed because there was so much blood. But I am not holding anything against them - they were just guys who were drunk."

He added: "I guess looking back on it now, it could have been far worse. If they had attacked an older person we could be looking at a manslaughter or even murder charge but as I am fairly young I was able to withstand the attack."

Mr Martin, 23, is in the senior team for Penryn Rugby Football Club and works in mental health. He is in charge of the Go Play Rugby initiative which encourages people aged 17 to 30 to play rugby.

Trengove, 18, of Tresillian Road, Falmouth and 19-year-old Nankivell, of Trevithick Road, Falmouth, had pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Martin causing him actual bodily harm. Trengove also admitted having assaulted a police officer by spitting in his face.

Both men were given 26-week young offenders' institution sentences suspended for two years. They were also ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work for the community and obey a six-month curfew from 7pm to 6am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. They must also each pay Mr Martin £500 compensation.

Prosecutor Andrew Oldland explained that the defendants had been charged originally with attempted robbery but on the morning of their trial their pleas of guilty to assault had been accepted. The more serious allegation was left on the file.

On the night of the attack Mr Martin had finished work and had gone for a drive with his dog Amber when his car broke down in Swanpool Street. While he was waiting for rescue he heard one of the defendants, both of whom he considered to be drunk, say that when the next car came along they would pretend to have been run over.

As Mr Nigel Pascoe drove past he heard a loud bang, stopped and thought there had been contact with a wing mirror. He saw one of the men holding his head saying he had been hit, and the police were called.

At that point, said Mr Oldland, Mr Pascoe was punched to the head by Nankivell and as he held his attacker at arm's length he was punched by Trengove.

Mr Martin intervened in an attempt to stop the assault and the defendants turned on him. He was repeatedly punched to the head and then they started punching and kicking him to the stomach and chest area. He was told by one "Give me your wallet and we will leave you alone." The man was unsuccessful in his attempt to take the wallet but demanded he should take them to Swanpool.

Mr Oldland said that when Mr Martin pointed out he could not go anywhere Nankivell headbutted him in the face and both continued to punch him.

Trengove said that if he did as he was told Nankivell would not kill him, and Mr Martin was concerned that he had a weapon but none was used or found.

The police found Mr Martin covered in blood and he was taken to hospital for treatment to a cut on his ear lobe, which required seven stitches, and severe bruising and swelling to his face. The attackers ran off and when stopped denied being involved. But they had blood on their hands and clothing which examination showed had come from their victim.

When Trengove was placed in handcuffs he swore at an officer, spat in his face and continued to be violent.

Mr Oldland added that Nankivell had breached a conditional discharge imposed in June, 2006, for theft and in February, 2005, had been dealt with for taking a vehicle without consent and theft. He also had a reprimand for common assault. Trengove had no previous convictions.

Barry White, defending, said that Trengove recognised he had a drink problem and had taken steps to overcome it. His behaviour had been despicable but out of character.

Defending Nankivell, Iain Leadbetter described his behaviour as "an appalling disgrace."

"It is the same old story of a young man in drink being foul-mouthed and violent," he declared.

Sentencing the teenagers, Judge Rucker told the teenagers that they either took the chance he was giving them or they will go to custody "for quite some time."

He said that if they committed any offences in the next two years he would personally come out of retirement to send them to custody.