Tourist machete attackers jailed

Blood stains the ground following the attack

Two men have been jailed for a machete attack on an English couple who were on the first night of their holiday.

Patrick Mongan, 22, from White Rise in Dunmurry and Elias Boswell, 21, of no fixed address, attacked the couple in their camper van in June 2007.

They had parked just across the border in County Louth and were sleeping when the attack happened. Kath Fordyce, 56, suffered a fractured skull and ribs.

Mongan was sentenced to nine years and Boswell was given seven years.

The judge at Newry Crown Court said the attack was "vicious and brutal".

A prosecution lawyer told the court the couple, from Skegness, had been woken by banging on the door and calls from the "border police" to "open up immediately".

But when James Fordyce opened the door he was attacked a machete and thrown out of the camper van with his wife.

Mrs Fordyce was kicked about the head and ribs.

Her husband suffered bruises to his face and arms and a deep cut to his left wrist which required plastic surgery to repair a tendon.

The camper van was later found burnt out in south Armagh.

Defence lawyers for the Mongan and Boswell said both had regretted their actions and that each of their respective families had collected £20,000 to give to the husband and wife by way of apology and compensation.