Two men who subjected a man to a terrifying homophobic attack in his own flat have been jailed.
Nottingham Crown Court was told the 51-year-old victim suffered slash marks to his body, head and hands after the onslaught in Forest Fields.
The man said he felt he had to “fight for his life” and “thought he was going to die” in the attack.
Ashley Deavin, of Melford Road, Nottingham, was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of robbery and two counts of wounding with intent.
Ryan Leverton, of no fixed abode, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of robbery and one count of wounding with intent.
Deavin and Leverton, both 23, demanded money from the victim and shouted homophobic abuse at him after they arrived at his flat in the Forest Fields on May 3.
About an hour before the assault the victim had driven the pair to a garage to buy some cigarettes before returning to the flat, where the attack unfolded.
Inside the flat Deavin punched the victim to the face, knocking him over.
Deavin and Leverton then frogmarched him around the flat as they continued to demand money from him.
In a witness statement the victim said Deavin threatened to cut his fingers off unless he gave him the money. his little finger was cut but he managed to wrestle out of Deavin’s and Leverton’s grip.
But the assault continued despite his pleas for them to stop, Deavin asked Leverton to hold his head while he threatened to cut the man’s ear off.
The victim was finally able to escape his flat and seek help from the member of the public as the pair continued to bag up his property.
The victim, whose wounds needed stitching and gluing at the Queen’s Medical Centre, said it was a totally unprovoked attack which he believed was due to his sexual orientation.
Deavin and Leverton were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 4 November after being found guilty of the charges following a trial.
Temporary Detective Sergeant Sharon Powar, the officer in the case, said: “We’re pleased with these sentences which show just how committed we are to taking hate crimes seriously.
“The victim in this case showed immense bravery in coming forward and we’d encourage anyone affected by hate crime to contact us without hesitation.”
