TEN young men are today starting a total of 17 years behind bars for their part in the brutal attack on Henry Webster.

Henry, now 17, was repeatedly beaten with a claw hammer on the tennis courts of Ridgeway School in Wroughton on January 11 last year.

Thirteen youths were yesterday sentenced for their crimes, following two lengthy trials at Bristol Crown Court.

Three defendants convicted of helping plan the attack, but playing no physical part and not entering the school tennis courts, were give suspended sentences.

Judge Carol Hagen said she held Wasif Khan, 19, of Caversham Close, Walcot, entirely responsible for wielding a claw hammer and striking Henry with it six times.

During the first trial the prosecution was unable to say for certain whether Khan or Amjad Qazi was the hammer man that left Henry brain damaged.

In court Khan accused his former friend, but Judge Hagen said: "I'm in no doubt the person with the hammer was Wasif Khan."

Wasif Khan and nine adult co-defendants arrived in three cars at Ridgeway School on the day of the attack, to seek revenge on Henry who had arranged to have a one-one-one fight with a fellow pupil.

Nazrul Amin, who pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent, was the first to enter the tennis courts. He admitted throwing the first punches but said he stepped back when Wasif started attacking Henry with the hammer. Amin, 19, was sentenced to 18 months detention at a young offenders' institution.

Judge Hagen said she had reduced his sentence by a year after taking into consideration his guilty plea and a letter he wrote to Henry, read out in court.

In the letter he said: "I know it won't make any difference but I hope you can accept my apology to you and your family."

Four Ridgeway pupils, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pointed Henry out to their adult friends, then kicked and punched him as he lay on the ground bleeding.

The 15-year-old who originally arranged the fight with Henry, was sentenced to 18 months, and his 16-year-old friend to 12 months.

Two other Ridgeway pupils, who pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial were each given eight months behind bars.

Six youngsters were convicted of organising the fight, making telephone calls and sending text messages, before travelling together to the school from Swindon.

Roubel Meah, 21, of County Road, Mahbub Ali, 18, of Broad Street, Bilal Yakub, 18, of Nursery View, Faringdon, Aqduss Rauf, 18, of Hereford Lawn, and Kamran Khan, 19, of Drove Road were all found guilty of conspiracy to commit actual bodily harm.

Judge Hagen said Meah had taken the lead role in planning the attack. Sentencing him to two and a half years in a young offenders' institution she said: "You were the one who instigated the planning to go to Ridgeway School that afternoon."

Ali, Yakub and Kamran Khan who did not enter the school grounds had their sentences suspended for two years, and told they would have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.

Faran Yaseen, 18, of Windsor Road, pleaded guilty to violent disorder on the first day of the second trial. He was jailed for eight months.

9:39pm Friday 9th May 2008

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