Three individuals have received prison sentences for their involvement in a violent assault on a teenage boy that involved a vehicle striking him off his bicycle and stabbing him.

The cyclist was propelled through a garden fence and a street sign before being attacked further while lying wounded on the ground in Haywards Heath.

The victim sustained injuries that will permanently affect his life.

Jack Ancell, 24, Charlie Clark, 24, and Aiden Barber, 22, were all connected to the assault.

The trio fled after members of the public confronted them.

Officers conducted inquiries to find the driver and passengers of a Vauxhall Corsa, and the three men were located and taken into custody in the days after the attack.

They faced charges of causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a bladed weapon in a public place. They entered guilty pleas during court proceedings.

At Lewes Crown Court on April 13, Ancell, Clark and Barber received their sentences.

The court heard the incident occurred at approximately 5.40pm on July 28 last year in Sydney Road.

Upon spotting the victim, the driver intentionally accelerated toward the cyclist and struck the boy through a garden fence. The three men then proceeded to assault him further.

Ancell, from Heron Close in Sayers Common, was sentenced to seven years in prison with an additional three-year extended licence period due to his dangerousness.

This signifies he will not be automatically released at the halfway point of his sentence, but must instead complete two thirds of his prison term before being considered for parole. Should he be released, he will remain on licence to serve the remainder of his sentence for the additional three years, totaling ten years.

Clark, from Cuckfield Road in Hurstpierpoint, was sentenced to seven years.

Barber, from Sycamore Drive in Burgess Hill, was sentenced to six years and three months.

The court did not determine who was operating the vehicle during the incident.

Following the case, Mid Sussex district commander Chief Inspector Steve Turner stated: “We recognise the concern this incident caused within the Haywards Heath community last summer.

Officers conducted thorough investigations to locate the three men involved, and I wish to thank the public for their overwhelming support for our investigation, which enabled us to secure these convictions.

The violence displayed by Ancell, Clark and Barber was deplorable and there is no justification for the harm they inflicted on the victim.

By employing a vehicle as a weapon, they endangered the victim’s life as well as other road users in the area. They then continued to stab and seriously assault the already injured victim on the ground in a cowardly manner.

They are now facing the consequences and will be serving substantial custodial sentences.

We continue to encourage residents with crime concerns to report incidents to Sussex Police online or by calling 101. In emergencies, always call 999.”

A woman, now 20 years old, who was previously arrested in connection with the incident was eliminated from the investigation and will face no further police action.