Two men were 'knocked out cold' when they were attacked by two men after one of them made a disparaging comment to a girl, Gloucester crown court was told.

Marlow Magee 19, of Evenlode Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Finley Stanton 19, of Station Road, Bourton on the Water and Ryven Masardo, 21 of Wellington Street, Cheltenham were charged with assault and affray in Cheltenham.

Benjamin Fletcher, Aaron Jones and Luke Lloyd had all been to a friend's birthday celebrations in the Moo Moo club in Cheltenham and were leaving together at 3am on July 26 last year when they came under attack, the court heard.

Prosecutor Susan Cavender said the group were walking towards KFC and passed a girl and three men sitting on a bench.

The charged trio were walking along the street. The female with them was Masardo's girlfriend.

"As the three friends passed, the girl said something to Benjamin Fletcher like 'What are you looking at?'

"Mr Fletcher replied something like 'Don't know - but not worth more than £20.'

"That seemed to be taken as a direct insult to Mr Masardo's girlfriend," Ms Cavender said.

"Mr Masardo then punched Mr Fletcher so hard that he fell straight to the ground unconscious. Mr Stanton started to kick Mr Fletcher in the head as he lay in the street.

"Mr Fletcher had no recollection of this until he woke up in hospital with a broken jaw.

"Aaron Jones went to assist Mr Fletcher and also got punched by Mr Masardo. Mr Stanton also punched and kicked Mr Jones."

She alleged Mr Magee also joined in the assault.

"Aaron Jones can remember being on the ground and taking punches and kicks from three people. He was stamped on the head.

"He managed to get up and tried to restrain Mr Stanton by getting him into a headlock but he was still being punched.

"Luke Lloyd, who had arrived on the scene a little later, then approached. He shouted to everyone to stop fighting. But he was then hit so hard by Mr Masardo that he was also knocked unconscious and he woke up in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital with a broken nose.

"Witnesses describe really powerful haymakers being punched; "

Ms Cavender said that the following day a witness looked at photographs on the MooMoo club website and he saw images of the three alleged attackers. He told the police and the defendants were spoken to by officers.

They all admitted they had been there but denied any wrongdoing.

Masardo told police he had 'hit people to protect his girlfriend.'

Mr Stanton said he was trying to break up the fighting and he had not been aggressive at all.

All three defendants denied affray and assaulting Aaron Jones causing him actual bodily harm. Masardo and Stanton both pleaded not guilty to assaulting Benjamin Fletcher causing actual bodily harm.

Masardo further denied assaulting Luke Lloyd causing him actual bodily harm.

Midway through the trial the defence successfully applied for the affray charge against Magee to be thrown out for lack of evidence. Judge Michael Cullum agreed and discharged Magee.

Today the jury found Masardo guilty of all charges against him and convicted Stanton of all the charges except for assaulting Mr Fletcher, of which he was acquitted.

Judge Cullum remanded Masardo and Stanton till tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, when they will be sentenced.