FOUR Ipswich men have been given community service orders, totalling nearly 1,000 hours, after beating a man to within an inch of his life outside one of the town's nightspots.

FOUR Ipswich men have been given community service orders, totalling nearly 1,000 hours, after beating a man to within an inch of his life outside one of the town's nightspots.

When sentencing the men, who left Roland Hayden severely battered and bruised, Judge Nicholas Beddard said he could only sentence on the basis of the pleas which had been accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Judge Beddard was shown a CCTV video which filmed the initial incident but failed to record details of the latter attack which caused the majority of Mr Hayden's injuries.

At Ipswich Crown Court the defendant's pleaded guilty only to the offences shown to be committed by them on the video.

Aaron Russell 20, of Surbiton Road; Pierre Rollins, 21, of Shakespeare Road; and Madrea Hurd, 21, of Alderman Close, pleaded guilty to affray and Laine Pond, 19, of Romney Road, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm. They were all ordered to carry out 120 hours community service and told to each pay £100 compensation to Mr Hayden.

Mr Hayden was attacked by the group outside Kartouche, in Princes Street, on September 22, after an earlier fracas in the club.

The 22 year-old was taken to a car park in Commercial Road where he was punched and kicked to within an inch of his life.

Paramedics had said that a few more blows to his head could have proved fatal.

Judge Beddard added: "I must sentence you on a limited basis which is what can be seen on CCTV. I have no idea if the basis of plea shows your full involvement. I think not. But I have to sentence you on your pleas and not for the totality of his injuries. This type of offending happens all too often outside Ipswich's nightclubs and a time will come when judges will have to make an example of you."

On the same day as the attack on Mr Hayden, Junius Chew, (also known as Hurd) 22, of East Dulwich, London, was arrested for violence.

Chew pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to unlawfully wounding Mark Richardson by slashing his back with a broken bottle in Portman Road, Ipswich.

Mr Richardson needed 18 stitches to treat a wound which went through to his muscle.

Judge Beddard sentenced him to 12 months in prison.