Two prisoners who stabbed drug kingpin Tony Mokbel in jail over a newspaper article describing him as a feared bigwig have been told to pull their heads in or end up drug-addled, lonely old men.

Teira Bennett and Eldea Teuira, both 22, bashed and stabbed Mokbel with makeshift shivs about eight times at Victoria’s Barwon Prison on February 11, 2019, following Bennett’s 21st birthday party.

News Corp’s Herald Sun had published a story the bay before describing Mokbel as a feared bigwig and enforcer who had disrupted an extortion racket in jail.

“You’re not an enforcer. This is what you get for talking to the screws. You f***ing dog,” Bennett told Mokbel during the frenzied attack.

As Mokbel lay bleeding, Teuira told Bennett “happy birthday bro”.

Both men pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence.

They also admitted recklessly causing injury to another prisoner who tried to intervene in the attack.

Bennett and Teuira were already serving sentences for violent offences at the time.

Tony Mokbel was Australia’s most-wanted fugitive.

County Court of Victoria Judge Liz Gaynor on Wednesday said the attack was a direct result of the Herald Sun article and carried out to reinforce the dominance of Barwon’s Pacific Islander “G-Fam” prisoner group.

She ordered the pair to spend more time behind bars for their “lawless bravado” in attacking a defenceless 53-year-old man.

“You may think you’re heroes in jail but do you think in 20 years time that’s going to matter?” she told Bennett and Teuira.

“When you’re 40, you’ll see what G-Fam and the bros do for you.

“You’ll end up drug-addled lonely old men.

“It is tragic to see two young lives already crashing dramatically off the rails.”

Bennett was sentenced to up to 11 years and two months, backdated to August 2017. He must serve eight years before being eligible for parole.

Teuira was jailed for a maximum of 10 years and 10 months, backdated to November 2017, with a non-parole period of eight years and six months.