Artist beaten to death by teens high on cannabis in savage happy slap attack

Under the early release rules, one of the thugs who singled out Peter Ramsey is due to walk free in eight months and the other in ten.

Mr Ramsey, 40, a painter, was on his way home from a supermarket when he was set upon by a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old, who was high from smoking cannabis.

The younger boy slapped the father of two, while the older one punched him in the face. Another youth in their gang was told to film the attack on his mobile phone so they could 'boast' about it later.

Mr Ramsey, who was with his girlfriend Vicky Lewis, 47, was hit with such force he was thrown across a road. Medics later found a piece of tooth embedded in the 15-year-old's hand.

A witness described how Mr Ramsey fell to the floor 'like a domino' before cracking his head on the pavement.

He managed to stagger home with the help of Miss Lewis and lay on his bed, but half an hour later was found unconscious and bleeding heavily.

Despite two operations to remove a bloodclot from his brain, he died three days later.

Winchester Crown Court heard that the two teenagers had planned the attack, which happened last October.

It was the culmination of months of abuse from the gang which left Mr Ramsey, described as a gentle man, frightened to visit his local shop the Millbrook area of Southampton.

The younger boy, who is now 14, was given two-and-a-half years detention in a young offenders' institution while the older boy, now aged 16, was given three years.

But Mr Justice Irwin said they would serve half their sentences in custody and because of time they had already spent behind bars, the older would be eligible for release in ten months and the younger in eight months.

The youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted manslaughter. Six youths were originally arrested. Three were released without charge.

Another 15 year old was charged with manslaughter but that was later dropped.