A GANG of teenagers threw their brain damaged victim to the ground then stamped, kicked and stood on him before robbing him of his shoes and keys.
The sick attack on the East Wichel man was filmed by the robbers.
Handing 12 month youth referral orders to two of the 17-year-olds who landed blows on the man, a horrified chairman of the youth court bench Linda Raine told one of the robbers: “You and your so-called mates did that to this poor chap, who’s already been attacked and left brain damaged. It’s horrible, really, really horrible.”
Two boys, both aged 16, had already been sentenced for their part in the robbery on the weekend of September 4.
Prosecutor Tom Power told Swindon Youth Court the victim had been left brain damaged in an earlier attack and was living in East Wichel. He was robbed on the footpath between East Wichel and Mill Lane, Old Town.
Mr Power played footage of the robbery, filmed by one of the young offenders. It showed the man being pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked and stamped on. At one stage in the footage, one of the masked attackers was seen to step onto the prone victim. His shoes, keys and cash were stolen in the robbery.
In a victim impact statement, his step-father said the attack had left his son fearful of returning to his flat and so afraid of people wearing full face masks that he would run from them. He had briefly moved into his parents’ home. “My son is living in fear someone will jump on him again.”
One girl, 17, who appeared before the court this week admitted robbery, claiming she kicked him three times while he was on the ground but hadn’t taken any of his belongings. Her co-defendant, a 17-year-old boy, admitted a limited part in the robbery. Neither can be named as they are both under-18.
Charlotte Frizzell, representing the girl, said she was remorseful and hoped to be involved in a restorative justice scheme to apologise to the victim. She had cut contact with her former friends.“She is clearly disgusted by her behaviour and her involvement in relation to this offence.”
Solicitor Emma Hillier said the boy had no previous convictions and was very remorseful. Quizzed by the magistrates, he said the victim statement had “really touched” him. His mother said: “It almost brought me to tears.”
Julie Coleman, of the youth offending team, had her own warning for the teenagers. She told the boy: “If these young people had all been kept together and sentenced together I have no doubt that every single one of you would have gone into custody and I think I probably would have supported that.”
Both were told to pay a £22 victim surcharge.
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