A YOB who took part in a “sickening” attack on a pub landlord and his staff has been sent to prison.

Robert Graham, 20, has been jailed for his part in the attack in which a man dressed in a French maid’s outfit was beaten unconscious at a New Year’s Eve party.

Graham, of Treves Road, Dorchester, was traced when CCTV footage of the incident was shown on the BBC Crimewatch programme.

He was sent to a young offender institution for 18 months after admitting affray.

His older brother Daniel Graham was charged with the same offence but didn’t answer his bail and is still on the run.

Exeter Crown Court heard how landlord Roger Harper was leading the festivities at the Tor Abbey pub in Torquay, Devon, and singing karaoke in the early hours of New Year’s Day, 2011 when he was set upon.

The attack started with Robert Graham trying to dance with him as he sang, then mocking him because of his French maid’s outfit but it then turned to serious violence.

The court was told that during the attack, Mr Harper was knocked to the ground, punched to the face and kicked in the head.

Howard Phillips, prosecuting, played the CCTV footage in court in which Graham is wearing a distinctive check shirt.

Mr Phillips said: “The victim was singing karaoke dressed as a French maid and his outfit caused the defendant to start making remarks calling him a ‘poof’.

“The victim was left unconscious for about ten minutes but suffered only bruising.”

Mr Phillips said a barman who tried to intervene was also knocked unconscious and landlady Jill Cave was punched.

He added that Graham’s name was given to police after the CCTV footage was shown on Crimewatch.

David Charles, defending, said the incident was out of character and caused by too much alcohol.

Judge Graham Cottle told Graham: “The whole incident, from start to finish, was caught on CCTV. It is inside a public house where you were seen to attack the landlord.

“It is a sickening sequence showing a man who is completely helpless and quite unable to defend himself being repeatedly punched and kicked while on the ground.

“He is eventually rendered unconscious and remains so for some minutes.

“He might have died and you could be standing there charged with something far more serious.

“It is quite impossible to deal with this sort of incident other than with immediate custody.”

As well as the offence of affray, Graham also admitted battery and assault on police in a later incident in Dorchester.

The court was told that Graham attacked an officer as he was being arrested for an assault.

Torquay pub victim Roger Harper, 57, said after the case: “It’s fair he goes to jail because he could have killed me. It had been a great night up until that point.

“He came into the pub just a few minutes before and I think wherever he had gone, something would have happened because he was looking for it.

“It all happened so quickly. I was being intimidated and I told him to shut up then he started playing up and I tried to get him out, that’s when it all went off.”

MISSING OLDER BROTHER SOUGHT BY POLICE

SPEAKING after the case, Detective Constable Lisa Stiddard of Torbay CID said the name of Robert Graham was given to the police after an appeal was made on Crimewatch last March.

Subsequently, he was charged with affray.

Graham’s older brother Daniel Graham is also suspected of being involved in the attack.

Daniel Graham was also charged with affray but he failed to answer bail at South Devon Magistrates Court on November 28 last year and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He has still not been found and a further appeal will be made on this month’s Crimewatch programme, to be shown on BBC1 on March 20.

Det Con Stiddard said: “Daniel Graham has been charged with an offence. He failed to attend court and has not been seen since.

“He will be featured on Crimewatch next Tuesday on the Wanted board.”

Daniel Graham, 22, of Dorchester, is described as 6ft, of muscular build with short, dark hair.

Anyone with information as to his whereabouts can contact police in confidence on 101.