Thugs get soft sentences as hero is paid just £700

Feb 7 2010 by Neil McKay, Sunday Sun

“The whole thing was typical of trouble that’s been going on there. They’d been aggravating all the shop owners by hanging around in the streets and making pests of themselves.

“I was watching my wife from the beer garden, making sure she was OK, then things started to get aggressive. I went straight round to protect my wife, she’s only 4ft10ins.

“One of the kids hit me, then they all turned on me. I must have been knocked-out because I can’t remember much of it.

“My wife and a friend got me up and took me back into the bar, while someone called an ambulance.

“At the hospital I had to have a brain scan and X-rays to check the extend of the damage. By the time I saw doctors I was pretty concerned about my eye. The whole thing left me furious.”

At hospital, he was told the discolouring in his eye might never go away, leaving his vision permanently damaged, and it was months after the attack, which took place last April, before he recovered from the bruising.

Last Friday, six boys and one girl, who all admitted offences of either wounding or affray, were given referral orders of between nine and 12 months by Judge Michael Wood, sitting at Consett Youth Court.

Another of the accused, a boy aged 16, pleaded not guilty to wounding and will go on trial at a later date.

A ninth teenager, a 16-year-old girl, charged with affray, was ill and unable to attend court.

The referral orders mean that, should any of the seven re-offend during the referral period, the offences would be taken into account during any future sentencing. They were each ordered to pay Lee £100 compensation.

Lee said: “I was furious with them, but I couldn’t do anything because they’re children. It’s so frustrating.

“One thing’s for sure, there has definitely been less trouble since they have all been on bail. Something needs to be done about those kids.”

He added: “Even now I still feel my injuries. It’s taken a long time for me to heal. They are a constant reminder of what those little thugs have done to me.”