TWO gamblers armed with bottles ambushed their victims after waiting for them outside a city centre casino in the early hours of the morning.

Gaal Gaal, 24, and Mohammed Rahman, 20, both from Commercial Street, Newport, launched a “nasty” attack on two cousins as they left Cardiff’s Rainbow Casino.

Rachel Knight, prosecuting, said the defendants and their victims Sameer Shah and Rishi Shah had appeared to get on very well inside the gaming club.

She told Cardiff Crown Court: “At the roulette table, telephone numbers were swapped and it seemed that a friendship had been formed.”

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However, hours later, Gaal and Rahman were primed outside the casino ready to attack them.

The prosecutor said: “CCTV shows the oblivious complainants leave and the defendants pick up bottles at their feet as they lay in wait.

“They got behind them and threw a bottle each.”

Sameer Shah suffered a large abrasion and Rishi Shah sustained a 1cm cut to the back of his head.

Both victims needed hospital treatment.

The defendants pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the offences taking place on October 15, 2019.

The court heard how Gaal had six previous convictions for 10 offences, but none for violence.

He has possession with intent to supply cannabis and failing to stop on his record.

Rahman also had no previous convictions for violence but had a driving offence, resisting police and possession of cannabis on his charge sheet.

Harry Baker, representing Gaal, said: “The defendant said in his pre-sentence report that he was 100 per cent out of order.”

Derrick Gooden, mitigating for Rahman, said his client had entered a guilty plea and was now a student who was working for Tesco as a warehouseman.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the defendants: “This was a disgraceful incident. It was unprovoked and nasty, carried out in Cardiff city centre in the early hours when each of your were in drink.

“It had the potential to be a very nasty incident indeed.”

The judge added: “This is your last chance. If you find yourself on the streets of Cardiff in an aggressive frame of mind again in the early hours of the morning, you will go into custody.”

Gaal was jailed for 16 weeks, suspended for 18 months, and Rahman, was sent to a young offender institution for 18 weeks, suspended for 18 months.

Both were ordered to complete 15 sessions of a rehabilitation activity requirement, carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, pay £300 costs and a victim surcharge.