A THUG who was part of a gang which attacked and tortured a Hull taxi firm owner and his friend has had his prison sentence cut by three years.

The gang, who were from St Helens and Prescot, travelled to East Yorkshire in March 2015 demanding cash from taxi boss Chris Davidson's home.

David Llewellyn, 30, from St Helens town centre, John Tuffy, 28, of Haresfinch Road, Daniel Jones, 26, from Prescot, Mark Platt, 30, of Sutton Leach and Jamie Hayes, 30, from Thatto Heath, were jailed for a total of 101 years for aggravated burglary and wounding with intent last November.

Llewellyn has now had his sentence reduced from 22 to 19 years by Lord Justice Davis at the Court of Appeal.

Mr Davidson and his friend Neil Collingham were tied up, stabbed and beaten during the horrific attack in March last year.

Llewellyn's co-defendants already had their individual sentences reduced in April.

Tuffy, Jones and Platt are now serving 19 years after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary and two counts of wounding with intent and Hayes is serving 11 years for aggravated burglary.

Following the initial sentencing, Detective Constable Dan Brittain from Humberside Police said: “This was a particularly brutal attack that left both victims with quite significant injuries."

He added “The level of violence used by the men in this case was absolutely unnecessary.

"The perpetrators have now quite rightly been brought to justice and the public are much safer as a result of these violent offenders being sentenced to terms in prison.”