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Two brothers with a grudge have been jailed for storming into a family home and beating up the lodger.

Conor Preston, 37, and his brother Liam, 32, punched, wrestled, kicked, and hit Colin Cuddy with a baton repeatedly as he cowered on the ground in Torquay.

The terrifying incident was witnessed by a child and her mother whose pleas to stop were ignored by the furious brothers.

Both men have a history of violence, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Conor was sentenced to 14 months in jail for the affray while and Liam was given 16 months for the same offence. The younger brother was also sentenced for headbutting a man in a separate outbreak of violence in the Park Lane nightclub.

Prosecutor Ms Emily Pitts said the shocking incident happened on June 6 last year.

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A woman living at an address in the town heard a knock at the door and saw Liam Preston stomping up the stairs. He pushed past her and accused Mr Cuddy of breaking into his van and stealing his work tools. Conor Preston, a friend of the woman's husband, then appeared and joined in an assault.

Mr Cuddy and the men scuffled and rolled down the stairs together. Mr Cuddy tried to protect his face with his arms while the two men continued to beat him up. A third man, who was not named in court, then appeared and joined in.

Conor Preston then produced a black retractable baton and hit Mr Cuddy between four and 10 times. The woman heard somebody shouting 'Do you want me to stab you?'

As the brothers left, Conor told his victim 'You are not going anywhere, we've got a car at the end of the road and we're coming back'.

Turning to the woman he shouted: "If you look at me like that that's going to happen to you."

The violence didn't end there. Once outside Conor Preston met the woman's husband, called him a 'f*****g mug' and punched him to the back of the head. He then kicked him while he was on the ground.

The two men are no longer friends, said Ms Pitts.

Liam Preston apologised to the woman and told her it was nothing to do with her.

The whole violent incident in the house had been witnessed by a five-year-old child who had been terrified by the scene.

Ms Pitts said there was history between the brothers and Mr Cuddy.

Two weeks before the defendants had visited the same house and accused Mr Cuddy of owing Liam Preston £150 for a watch.

They were angry Mr Cuddy was staying at the house and Conor Preston said people were going to come through the door whether a child was there or not unless the matter was sorted out.

Conor Preston, who pleaded guilty to affray and ABH, has previous convictions for violence and public disorder. His brother, who admitted affray, also has a previous conviction for assault. The court was told he also needed to be sentenced for causing actual bodily harm in Park Lane on May 18. On that occasion he was being a nuisance on the dancefloor and headbutted a man who tried to talk to him.

Garath Evans, in mitigation, said Liam Preston, a tiler, confronted Mr Cuddy because he blamed him for stealing work tools from his van. He admitted it was a stupid decision and was sorry about it. He had not gone round to the house to harm him but to get his tools back.

Conor Preston had gone to back up his brother. He regretted going and admitted having problems controlling his temper. He was sorry for the way he acted and for what he had done.

Judge Peter Johnson said the brothers had acted without thought for the trauma caused to the child witness.

"This is a serious affray on any view," said the judge.

"Not only was it committed in a domestic house it was conducted while a young child was present and a weapon was used."