TWO men "meted out their own savage justice" after a woman claimed she had been raped, a court heard.

Brian Siddle and teenager Joshua Cousins, with a third man who has not been identified, repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on Gary Ramsden, causing him fractures to his cheek and jaw.

Bradford Crown Court was today told the rape allegation had been false.

Judge David Hatton QC said the woman, Correna Lowther, had "a lot to answer for".

Jailing Siddle, who is 40 on Saturday, for eight years and sentencing 18-year-old Cousins to three years youth custody, Judge Hatton said the attack had been repeated and sustained.

He said: "Having received that seemingly false complaint, you took it upon yourselves to mete out your own form of savage justice.

"The attack that you perpetrated upon him was frenzied and wild. It involved stamping upon his head and kicking his head.

"He believed that he would die, and he could have done so because kicking heads and stamping upon heads, as this court knows only too well, frequently does result in death."

Prosecutor David McGonigal said Mr Ramsden, 43, met Correna Lowther on the internet, and on October 26 last year he went to her house in Laisterdyke, Bradford, where they had sex.

Mr McGonigal said Miss Lowther called a friend, who was then the girlfriend of Siddle and mother of Cousins, and complained she had been raped.

The prosecutor said Miss Lowther locked Mr Ramsden in the house and gave the keys to the defendants, who went there, with the third man.

Mr McGonigal said: "They were clearly intent on assaulting Mr Ramsden. He recalled them shouting 'rapist.'"

He said Mr Ramsden was attacked, including being stamped on, but managed to get out of the house and run down the street. He was chased and punched and kicked again, but got to his feet and fled down an alley. He was again caught and attacked for a third time. He was petrified and feared for his life.

He had two metal plates inserted in his fractured cheekbone, needed nearly 30 stitches to his mouth and round his eye, and had blurred vision after the attack.

Mr Ramsden was arrested after he was pointed out as the rapist.

But the court was told the rape allegation was "entirely without foundation" and Miss Lowther and Mr Ramsden were now in a relationship.

Ian Cook, representing Siddle, said there was an unusual trigger for his behaviour and emotions were running high. He had no convictions for violence and had acted out of character.

Cousins' barrister, Howard Shaw, said his client had significant problems and vulnerabilities and had been diagnosed with a form of autism. He had borderline intelligence in the bottom six per cent of the population.

Cousins, of Fernville Drive, Tyersal, was convicted by a jury of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Siddle pleaded guilty on the morning of his trial.

Judge Hatton said he was satisfied Siddle, of Blucher Street, Laisterdyke, had led the attack and Cousins, who was of previous good character, was immature and had been led into it.

But he told Cousins: "This was an appalling, vicious attack, resulting in very serious injury.

"I have no pleasure in imposing a sentence in a young offenders institution. I would be failing in my public duty were I not to do so."

After the case, Detective Constable Dean Palmer, of Bradford District CID, said: "This was a nasty attack which left the victim with significant facial injuries which required reconstructive surgery. We hope the sentence passed down today will help to give him some comfort, as well as serving a warning to others that violent crime will not be tolerated in Bradford District."