Youths escape a jail sentence

3:26pm Monday 15th January 2007

A PAIR of teenage thugs, who armed themselves with pieces of wood which had nails sticking out of them to beat up a man, have walked free from court.

Jamie Ferris, 18, and Aaron Pearson, 19, set about their victim in his own home during a drunken attack in the early hours of the morning.

But a judge at Swindon Crown Court decided not to impose immediate custodial sentences for the premeditated attack on Jamie Solari, 25.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, told the court that police and an ambulance were called to a house in Oxford Street early on September 3.

When they arrived they saw two 15-year-old girls leaving the property.

"They alerted the police to the fact that their friend Mr Solari was being attacked," he said.

"The police went in and saw Mr Solari on the floor, absolutely terrified.

"They also heard a man shouting and before going in had heard the sound of someone being hit.

"An officer saw Mr Pearson holding a white stick and hitting Mr Solari a number of times.

"She also saw Mr Ferris holding a white stick. Both had nails protruding from the end. She ordered them to drop the sticks and they did immediately."

Mr Shellard said the victim was curled in a ball on the floor with blood coming from his arm and there was a smashed mirror in the room.

He told the court that Mr Solari was a heroin addict and had fallen out with another friend after smoking the drug in front of his 15-year-old pregnant sister.

When they were questioned the teenagers told the police they had been friends with the victim but fell out over his drug use.

They blamed their drinking for the attack, as well as being upset about the incident with the other man's sister.

Pearson said that as well as drinking heavily he had taken two ecstasy tablets before carrying out the attack.

Mr Shellard said the victim suffered two four-inch cuts to his forearm, as well as bruising and grazes to both arms.

Ferris, of Townend Road, Faringdon, admitted actual bodily harm and criminal damage and Pearson, of The Bramptons, West Swindon, admitted actual bodily harm.

Rob Ross, defending, said both of his clients had no previous convictions and were very sorry about what they had done.

Pearson, he said, had been using ecstasy heavily since he was 15 years old and needed help to address the long-term problem it has caused.

He said both teenagers came from good family backgrounds and were full of remorse for what they had done.

Mr Ross told the court that in his experience over the past five years there had been an incredible upsurge' of drunken violence by people from good backgrounds.

Instead of jailing the youths, Judge David Griffiths said , "with some misgivings", he was imposing one-year jail terms suspended for 18 months.

He also ordered both pay £600 compensation, do 250 hours community service, observe a 7pm to 7am curfew for four months and Pearson was also ordered to complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

He told them: "You have been given an exceptional opportunity - grasp it."

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