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Jailed for life: Youths who kicked former soldier to death
Last updated at 23:52pm on 17.05.08
The 55-year-old clung onto life in hospital for nine days
The four teenagers had gathered in a lonely motorway underpass and rang a friend to say they were "waiting to beat up someone".
They had been drinking brandy and strong beer and smoking cannabis before they launched the fatal attack on 55-year-old Stephen Green.
Sentencing Judge John Bevan branded the youths' behaviour as "feral" and said it was "chance" that Mr Green was the first person to come along.
Mr Green, a bachelor, was cycling home from work late at night when he was ambushed. He was kicked, stamped on and battered by the yobs, who had been drinking heavily.
He clung on to life in hospital for nine days before dying from a blood clot in his lungs caused by his injuries.
His rucksack, which contained just £5.65 in change, was found discarded near the scene of the attack 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 at Luton Crown Court today.
Bennett was identified as the ringleader of the pack and told he will be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and must serve a minimum term of 19 years.
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Life: (From top-left) Darryll Bennett, Nicholas Garland, Richard McNamara and Shane Liddy
He was out on bail for two robberies and a theft at the time of the attack. He will serve a three-year jail term for this offence concurrently with his new sentence.
Garland, who has no previous convictions, was also detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and will serve a minimum of 12 years.
Liddy and MacNamara were old enough to be given life sentences.
Liddy was serving a 12-month community sentence and was under an intensive supervision and surveillance order for attempted robbery when he attacked Mr Green.
He had also completed a programme of work, some of it helping young children, with the Prince's Trust two weeks before the attack. His group leader wrote a letter to court praising his hard work.
Liddy was told he must serve a minimum term of 16 years.
MacNamara was on bail while awaiting sentence for robbing a 16-year-old two months before the murder. He has now pleaded guilty to the offence and was handed an 18 month sentence today which will run concurrently to his life sentence.
He will serve a minimum term of 15 years in jail.
All four were also sentenced to three years, the two youngest will serve the term in a young offenders institution, for a second charge of conspiracy to rob Mr Green.
Reader views (11)
Sue's comment is spot on. Of course it's not a "life term. It's 19 years. And real world, folks it's probably half that. Of course after 18 months they'll likely qualify for early release with an ankle bracelet. I can't figure it out.
- Leon A Davis, Scottsdale, Arizona
Studying the faces of the killers they appear to be sub-human, no traces of compassion, kindness or any decent trait.
- Wforster, Cumbria
I am fed up and angry when reading how these lowlifes are sentenced to life. Sorry but life means life not 12, 15 or 16 years. When are we going to see these beasts put away until the day they die. Another decent human being has had his life brutally cut shot, where is his second chance?
- Chris Nightingale, Watford, Herts
Bring back the death penalty, these scums have nothing to contribute to society.
- Carl Oliveira, Macau
Why does it say they have been 'jailed for life'? They haven't been 'jailed' for life at all, despite they should be, so it is wrong to say they have been.
- Sue, London
Grant them a license, with limitations on their freedom upon their eventual release, should they fail rehabilitation.
And while we're at it, time to reintroduce the death penalty. As NOTHING the last two government's have done to protect law abiding citizens has made a bit of difference to halt violent crime in this country.
I'd also demand a programme of educating all teenagers and adults wishing to have a child, of their responsibilities to the future of everyone's society.
- Simon Caleb, London
As some one who supported the abolition of the death penalty I have long realised that I was wrong.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford
These young men are totally responsible for the choices they made and deserve anything they get (even if they do get out earlier than they should, judging by the way things seem to work). The people who have created the environment that led to this tragedy are equally to blame though.
- Rogan, DFW Texas
Yet another murder committed by failed humans with multiple prior convictions for violent offences, while out on bail or serving "community sentences". (That's an oxymoron if ever there was, since it's the community that ends up suffering from the sentence rather than the felon!)
When will known violent offenders *always* be denied bail, and if found guilty *always* sentenced to years in jail? If these thugs' previous criminal careers had been properly dealt with, they'd have already been in jail, and Stephen Green would still be alive.
And now, these sadistic murderers will be back on our streets before they are 35. They killed a man for fun, and I greatly fear that at least one of them will kill again.
- Nigel, London
The sentences are not long enough.
New Labours new society.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
They will still be young men in their thirties when they get out so they are not being sentenced to life. The courts must stop using this misleading term. They should be locked up at least until they reach retirement age.
- Mick, London, England
