Four men were jailed for a total of 26 years for a beating which left an epileptic man fighting for his life.

Scuffles broke out with prison officers and one defendant threw a cup of water over a policeman and spat at him as the four were led to the cells.

The jury was verbally abused by one of the convicted as the foreman read out the guilty verdicts at Lewes Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Charles Kemp ordered the defendants to behave and later apologised to the jury for the "undignified spectacle".

He also condemned the "vicious and thoroughly cowardly" attack by the four on Daniel Tyrell, 25, who was attending a party in Wilmington Way, Haywards Heath, in June last year.

The four had taken cocaine and consumed alcohol when they attacked him.

Mr Tyrell, an epileptic with a speech impediment and limp, was knocked to the ground and kicked.

His head was stamped on several times before the four "callously" walked out of the house.

Mr Tyrell, who worked part-time in animal husbandry and lives with his parents in Haywards Heath, suffered a fractured skull and was in a coma for several days.

He spent nine weeks at the Princess Royal Hospital and Hurstwood Park neurological hospital, Haywards Heath.

Judge Kemp said but for the work of an ambulance crew and hospital staff Mr Tyrell's injuries could have been fatal.

He said: "I am satisfied this offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence was justified."

Toby Adams, 20, of Wilmington Way, Haywards Heath, and Gary Ord, 22, of Merevale, Hollingdean, Brighton, were each jailed for seven years.

Adams' brother Barnaby, 19, of Boston Road, Haywards Heath, and Brady Mitchell, 21, of Sunninghill Close, Hangleton, Hove, both received six-year sentences.

All pleaded not guilty to causing grievous harm.

Relatives wept as the sentences were handed down. One man shouted out: "That's more than what paedophiles get."

Police were called to assist prison officers as they struggled with some of the defendants on the stairs leading from the dock to cells.

Detective Constable Ron Coxhead, one of the investigators, was soaked as one defendant threw a cup of water over him. He was also spat upon.

Afterwards, Mr Coxhead said: "The attack on Mr Tyrell was nasty and spontaneous. To this day, no one knows the motive."

Mr Tyrell's parents were in court to hear the verdicts. They said afterwards: "It has been a tremendous strain on the whole family and we have suffered every day since Daniel was attacked. It has affected Daniel and will continue to do so.

"We are happy it is over and we can now get on with our lives again."

Earlier, the court heard Ord was "in the teeth of alcoholism".

His defending counsel, Christopher Vanhagen, apologised to the judge for Ord's outburst at the jury when the verdicts were read.