FOUR "feral" youths who kicked and beat a former soldier to death, three of them while on bail or serving community sentences, were jailed yesterday.
The gang had been drinking brandy and strong beer and smoking cannabis before they launched the attack on Stephen Green, 55.
He had been cycling home from work late at night when he was ambushed. He was kicked, stamped on and battered by the yobs.
He clung to life in hospital for nine days before dying from a blood clot in his lungs caused by his injuries.
At Luton Crown Court, the judge, John Bevan, branded the youths' behaviour as "feral" and said it had been "chance" that Mr Green was the first person to come along. His rucksack, with just £5.65 in change, was found discarded near the scene with the money still inside.
Nicholas Garland, 18, Shane Liddy, 19, Richard McNamara, 19, and Darryll Bennett, 18, all of Luton, were all handed life sentences for murder. Bennett was the ringleader and he will be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and must serve a minimum of 19 years. He was out on bail for two robberies and a theft at the time of the attack.
Garland was also detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and will serve a minimum of 12 years. Liddy was jailed for a minimum of 16 years and McNamara a minimum of 15 years.
The full article contains 240 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
