A nursing home carer who viciously beat a Good Samaritan and left him in a pool of blood has been spared jail because it 'would cause distress and upset to her children'.

Mother-of-two Claire Steeden, 32, and her friends turned on innocent Anthony Murray as he went to the aid of another man they were beating up after being ejected from a nightclub in Blackpool, Lancashire.

During the assault, Steeden and another woman Mary Wharton, 35, chased 24-year old Mr Murray across a town centre, before bringing him to the ground.

Claire Steeden admitted chasing and assaulting 24-year-old Anthony Murray outside Kaos nightclub in Blackpool, before stealing his £400 iPhone and £150 in cash

The attack happened outside Kaos nightclub in Blackpool, pictured, after Steeden had been kicked out

He was repeatedly punched and kicked then left unconscious in a pool of blood whilst they stole his £400 iPhone, another mobile phone and £150 in cash.

The victim was treated in hospital and is so badly affected by the beating he now fears leaving his own home, going to pubs or nightclubs and being out in the street at night.

At Burnley Crown Court, Steeden who has a previous conviction for stealing £6,000 from her ex-fiancee to buy a scooter, admitted assault and theft.

But she was given 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, with 160 hours unpaid work after the court heard she had 'responsibility' for a son aged 12 and a daughter aged eight. She was originally charged with robbery.

Wharton admitted assault and theft and received 15 months in custody, suspended for two years, with a four month curfew, between 8pm and 6am.

The women, both of Blackpool, will be supervised by the probation service for two years.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Newell said both women had drunk to excess in the club and added: 'Certainly, one of you has said that you were ejected. A lot of people were thrown out and it appears that trouble from the nightclub spilled out into the street.

'It seems to me that the nature, manner and level of violence, the fact it was in drink, in the street in Blackpool, are all aggravating features.

'It seems by chance rather than design that Mr Murray didn't have more serious injuries. My gut reaction is that a custodial sentence should follow.

'There is, however, one matter and one matter alone which leads me to the conclusion that I can suspend the sentence in this case - Miss Steeden has the responsibility of two small children.

'It seems to me the distress, upset, disturbance and lack of stability for these children is such a specific matter that appertains to one of you, that I can suspend the sentence and I have to treat you both the same. The other gets the benefit of that matter.'

The court heard the violence took place last November after Steeden's marriage had broken down and she ended up on a drinking binge before being ejected from the gay themed Kaos bar in Blackpool.

Judge Simon Newell told Steeden, pictured, he was only suspending her sentence because of her children

Prosecutor Hugh McKee said Mr Murray, then 24, was in the resort visiting relatives and encountered trouble at 1am as he left the same nightclub.

Mr McKee said: 'He had had a lot to drink it's fair to say, although he makes the point he knew what he was doing and he was aware of what was happening around him.

'There was a commotion on the street and the defendants appeared to be attacking another man.

'He went to help the man, pulling one of them away. They began to shout at him, he decided to run away and he was chased by the two defendants and, it has to be said, at least two males as well, who joined in.

'He was caught by the group, brought to the ground and attacked. He was kicked and punched. He could feel someone going through his pockets and had two mobile phones taken, a bag and £150 in cash. He remembers then being helped by a police officer.

'He was seen to have a bloodied lip and was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He may have been unconscious for a time.'

Mr McKee said the incident had been witnessed by two security patrol men who saw the women involved in chasing, punching and kicking Mr Murray whilst he was on the ground.

One of the men involved was seen to repeatedly bang Mr Murray's head on the ground.

The prosecutor said : 'There is CCTV of the aftermath. Miss Wharton is seen to put a phone on the ground and Miss Steeden is seen to pick it up.'

When arrested Steeden was found to have Mr Murray's Nokia phone complete with a smashed screen. She later said there had been a scuffle in Kaos and everybody had been thrown out.

She initially denied assault claiming she had picked up a mobile phone thinking it might belong to one of her friends. No men were ever arrested over the trouble.

Steeden was given an 18-month suspended sentence and 160 hours unpaid work after admitting assault and

In mitigation Steeden's counsel Huw Edwards said: 'She feels real and genuine remorse for what she did. It's right to say that this remorse is heartfelt and genuine.

'Her marriage had broken down and it had hit her exceptionally hard. She began to drink as a way of coping with the pain she felt and began socialising with a group of people she had known before. These offences took place against that sort of backdrop and in drink.

'The defendant feels disgusted with herself for what she has done. As a result of these offences, she has taken positive steps to reduce her drinking.

'Five or six months ago she stopped entirely and has not drunk since. She has realised what can happen when she takes excessive drink.'