David Bigsby, 33, and Michael McDonald, 43, admitted at Leeds Crown Court to committing grevious bodily harm with intent on Gregory McGrath who is in his 60s.

Leeds Crown Court heard that after drinking together Bigsby, of The Croft, who was armed with a metal bar, and McDonald, of Westborough, who had a baseball bat, forced their way into Mr McGrath's home in Tindall Street.

Mr McGrath was lying on a mattress on the floor and the pair hit him repeatedly around the head, torso and legs.

Jailing the two men, who both had previous convictions, including assault, Judge Scott Wolstennholme said: "He was a troublesome neighbour and that might be putting it mildly but this is a quite dreadful offence of serious violence."

Timothy Capstick, prosecuting, said Mr McGrath was an eccentric character, who upset and frustrated his neighbours.

Mr Capstick said Bigsby, who lived close to Mr McGrath, had experienced a history of difficulty with him.

Earlier this year, Bigsby had made a complaint to police about Mr McGrath threatening him. He was not content with the way the police dealt with that case and made various comments.

After the attack, police and paramedics found him face down on a mattress in a lounge and he was bleeding from his head. He was taken to hospital and his injuries included a laceration to his face with a swelling and bruising at one side while one of his eyes was closed.

There was extensive bruisses at his thorax, arms abdomen and thighs, his right cheek bone was fractured and there was a fracture to his right elbow.

When police questioned Bigsby he initially denied any involvement but then admitted he was responsible and had recruited McDonald to accompany him to administer the beating.

McDonald was then arrested and initailly denied it but later admitted he had been recruited by Bigsby to participate in the attack.

Brian Jepson, mitigating for Bigsby, said the attack by Bigsby was not sustained and he realised very quickly that what he was doing was wrong.

He added that Bigsby had encouraged McDonald to stop the attack, which he did.

Mr Jepson said: "It's fair to say that my client David Bigsby is a man almost driven to distraction by the victim.

He added that Mr McGrath also made comments that would upset his family and Bigsby has found it hard to cope with low self esteem.

Nicholas Johnson, mitigating for McDonald, said there was a short history of depression and he was undergoing treatment at the time and this may have contributed to his "extreme behaviour".

He also said that he was drunk at the time and this could have played its part too.

Mr Johnson added that McDonald would deny that he had to be coerced away.