THUGS’ ATTACK RUINED MY LIFE
BY REBECCA SHERDLEY AND JONATHAN SMART
26 June 2003
A Pensioner battered by two teenage thugs on his own doorstep today said they had “ruined his life”. Wilfred Young, 83, told the Post that since the vicious attack by Liam Dore and Craig Oldham he had been too frightened to leave his home. At Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, Dore, 16, and Oldham, 19, were both given 18 months’ custody after admitting assault and causing criminal damage on March 26. And Judge Dudley Bennett refused to impose an order banning the identification of Dore, backing a Post application that it should be able to name and shame him. The court was told he used a brass kitchen roll holder to beat Mr Young over the head as he grappled with Oldham.
The pair had tried to barge into Mr Young’s home in Minerva Street, Bulwell, at 10.45pm after knocking on the window to get him to open the door. But the retired city bus company employee bravely fought them off and somehow managed to summon up the strength to close the door. One of the two then hurled a stone through his window as they fled. Mr Young said: "Before the attack I was as fit as a fiddle. I used to walk everywhere, do my own garden, cook my own meals and help people out whenever I could. Now, I can’t do anything for myself. I need other people to do my shopping, pay my bills and even clean my house. "They were heavy blows and the blood was pouring down my face. "Eighteen months doesn’t seem like much of a sentence after what they did to me that night. The scars on my head have healed, but it’s the ones inside that hurt the most. “This attack has ruined my life.” Oldham, of Ravensworth Road and Dore, of Ragdale Road, Bulwell, were arrested after Mr Young’s neighbours tipped off police.
Dore had previous convictions for common assault, criminal damage and shoplifting. Oldham was a convicted burglar and also had convictions for drink-driving and driving with no insurance.
Gregor Purcell, prosecuting, said: “It was a motiveless attack. Dore flew at him with a kung fu kick. The victim was absolutely terrified.” Mr Young was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre where he was treated for cuts and bruises. He still suffers from blurred vision in his left eye.
Judge Bennett said, in Dore’s case, his hands were tied because there was a maximum two-year sentence for a youth appearing in an adult court for such offences. But he said that on settling on 18 months, he had taken into account his age and given him credit for his guilty plea, which spared his victim the ordeal of giving evidence in court. He told Dore he would have imposed a longer sentence had he been older. “It would have been bad enough had this happened to a young person. But to an 83-year-old, it was quite appalling,” he added. Nirmal Shant, for Dore, said she could say nothing in mititigation about the offence. However, she said Dore was on a college course to boost his job opportunities. Timothy Palmer, for Oldham, said his client admitted his behaviour that night was “disgusting”.