Personal injury news

Brain injury kills student attack victim

Two thugs who beat a student so severely that he died of terrible brain injuries have been sentenced to life in prison.

Carl Newton and Anthony Silcock were convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Joe Medforth after a jury at Preston Crown Court took less than two hours to reach a unanimous guilty verdict.

Mr Medforth was a student at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and had been walking home from a night out in July 2005 when he was set upon. His hooded attackers knocked him to the ground and proceeded to kick him, causing serious head injuries.

Silcock and Newton left their victim lying in the street and made their getaway. He regained consciousness soon after, but his condition deteriorated suddenly in hospital and he died of brain injury 30 hours after the attack.

There was no apparent reason for the assault, and both thugs denied intending to cause Mr Medforth serious personal injury. They were told by the judge that they must each serve at least 13-and-a-half-years behind bars, and as he was led away, Newton made an obscene gesture to the jury.

After the trial, it emerged that Silcock and Newton had previous convictions for violence and robbery and had seriously assaulted a shopkeeper several years ago.