Three alleged members of the Parkside gang were sentenced to three years in jail for a home invasion and assault.

One of the men, Dimitri Tucker, 23, won praise from judge Carlisle Greaves for acknowledging he'd let down his ancestors who fought for civil rights.

Tucker said he realised during his time on remand in Westgate that his ancestors made sacrifices for the liberties he enjoys today.

"My actions jeopardised the actions of my ancestors," he told the judge. "You said it in a newspaper article, and when I read it, it really played on my conscience."

Mr. Justice Greaves said he was glad of that, but chided the three defendants: "Who gave you the right to do what you're doing having not sacrificed anything?"

Tucker, Manai Roberts, 20, and Kenry Thorpe, 22, left 28-year-old victim Codie Dowling traumatised and suffering flashbacks after attacking him in his own home. They pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm the day their trial was due to begin in November.

Prosecutor Robert Welling explained yesterday how the trio arrived at Mr. Dowling's Southampton home on the evening of March 11 last year. The victim, who lives alone in an apartment below his parents, let them in because Thorpe is his first cousin.

Thorpe asked for Mr. Dowling's car for a week, but he refused. At this point, Roberts and Tucker began to grapple with Mr. Dowling while Thorpe tried to grab the car keys. At one point, Roberts and Tucker threw him to the ground and Roberts put a pillowcase over his head.

Mr. Dowling fought back, and according to Mr. Welling: "They told him to relax and let them take his car." He eventually agreed and they released him. However, Mr. Dowling banged on the ceiling to alert his mother and the trio surrounded him with Roberts striking him on the chin. They eventually left without taking his car and his parents heard his screams and took him to the hospital.

According to the prosecutor, Mr. Dowling was able to identify Thorpe's accomplices from a picture posted online of them all out on the town. Mr. Welling told the court that, according to the victim, the culprits all have links to Parkside.

Mr. Dowling alleged that they had a firearm during the incident, and they were originally charged with assault with intent to rob and carrying a firearm with criminal intent. However, the Crown offered no evidence on those charges after they pleaded guilty to the wounding charge.

None of the defendants had jobs at the time of the attack.

Mr. Welling read a statement from Mr. Dowling in which he said he has a permanent scar from his chin injury and was left afraid to leave his home in case he was attacked again. "I was constantly looking over my shoulder, I got flashbacks when I was asleep at night," he said.

Defence lawyers Charles Richardson, Mark Pettingill and Elizabeth Christopher all took issue with the allegations about Parkside, saying it was unproven hearsay.

Thorpe told the judge: "I'm willing to accept the consequences." Roberts said: "I'm ready to take full responsibility. This was just some wrong choices and decisions."

Mr. Justice Greaves delivered what he described as "a sermon from the bench and not from the mount" about how the young men should be grateful for their opportunities in life and not waste them by getting locked up.

"I consider this was a serious unprovoked home invasion and attack upon an innocent man within the sanctity of his own home and you subjected that man to a frightening and draining experience," he said.

However, he praised the three defendants for being willing to accept the consequences of their actions, and said this meant he was giving them each three years in jail instead of three-and-a-half. They must complete three years of probation upon their release.