A TEENAGE girl rifles the pockets of an innocent stranger as he lies unconscious on the ground after a gang of youths beat him senseless in an unprovoked attack.
Sickening CCTV pictures show Gemma Stafford, 18, searching the man's body as the gang continue to kick and punch him.
The shocking film was used to convict Stafford and four youths for their parts in the attack - yet they were still each only given between 18 months and four years in jail.
Stafford, of Hilltop Drive, Kirkholt, Rochdale, lied to police about her involvement in the attack, and only admitted what she had done when confronted with the video evidence.
Even then, she claimed she couldn't remember the attack or what happened in the time leading up to it, blaming alcohol for her memory loss.
The 27-year-old victim, despite having been repeatedly kicked and punched about the body and head, amazingly suffered no major injuries.
Bolton Crown Court heard the man came across the gang as he walked through Rochdale town centre on to Yorkshire Street in the early hours of Saturday, March 15.
They started arguing with him - and he pretended to use his mobile phone to call for help in a bid to stop them harassing him. As he walked away Stafford led the group, following him and shaking her hand in front of her face in an aggressive gesture.
The group then surrounded him and he was punched on the back of the head by one of the youths, Andrew Harbourne, 19, before being knocked off his feet by a second punch thrown by Stuart Shaw, 20.
The court was told that Shaw and Harbourne, together with a third youth, Joshua McErlean, 19, and a 17-year-old youth, continued to punch, kick and stamp on the victim's head.
Three of the group then ran off, leaving Stafford and Shaw to search through the man's pockets. Stafford also turned the victim over, searching for more money, without any regard to his injuries.
While Stafford stole from the unconscious man, Shaw continued to kick the victim's head, and even took a last running kick as the pair made off.
Det Sgt Lee Johnson, of Rochdale CID, said after the case: "This was a vicious and unprovoked attack and it is only by sheer luck the victim wasn't permanently injured. Their actions were sickening to watch, and were mindless violence at its worst."
Stafford was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder and theft.
Shaw, of Bridge Street, Heywood, near Rochdale, was sentenced to four years after pleading guilty to assault and violent disorder.
Harbourne, of Clever Street, Burnley, was sentenced to four years after pleading guilty to violent disorder and assault.
And McErlean, of Bury Road, Rochdale, was given four years after admitting assault and violent disorder.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 18 months' youth detention after pleading guilty to assault and violent disorder.
Gang jailed over vicious attack
July 29, 2008
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SCUM
should have been 15 years each! what the hell is wrong with this country? Normal law abiding people are worse off......and its not going to get any better! The scum and fraudsters are running the country not the MPs!
Wouldn't you just love to meet them whilst they were on their own!!! Its this sort of people, affraid of nothing, feeling they are above the law that the judicial system needs to get a grip of. Is it bad parenting? is it the lyrics in music? is it society today that seems to think it can behave in whatever lawless maner they feel fit? I think these kids think they are big time charlies with no morals, no aim in life, and no way of ever contributing to society other than costing us tax payers money to jail them. Well I hope they get a rough time in jail. I can see them now..., crying away the nights as the brain cell rattles around wondering what happened. That was very brave of you!!!!!!!
Yes, scum and not given nearly long enough sentences. This hard faced b***h will come up against tougher women than her in prison and I hope they take a strong dislike to her.
Gemma Stafford even looks evil in the picture. A liar and a thug. Let that be a warning to any future partners. She's dangerous and certainly not a lady.
Absolutely scandalous Jail terms, that last kick was a deliberate attempt at ending someone's life and should have been given at least 15 years.
Kirkholt underclass at it again, would love to pick up the paper and not see the address of scum given as Kirkholt but seeing as all the lowlife live on these estates then it is no surprise. Parents must be so proud
They will probably release them in 6 weeks. Tha law is an Ass.
Ms Stafford will make a very nice cellmate for sure! Men are alright but you can't beat the real thing eh?
If I was running the country people like this would be thrown straight on the furnace.
Shouldnt be simply allowed to breath the same air let alone walk the streets again.
Can the MEN please not edit my comments,I did not call them people,they are not people.They are the dregs of humanity .Family like these will only ever be a drain on the economy.
I sincerely hope these lowlife cowards get a really tough time in gaol, especially the so charming girl.
God help any fool of a man who ever gets involved with her.
No thanks to them the young man they attacked isn`t dead or brain-damaged like them.
A true Lady showing her prowess around the town centre.
Why do estates such as Kirkholt produce such low life. Does this hard faced creature have any morals? Do her parents? What do they think about their daughter and the hooded vermin with which she associated? 18 years of age - what a indictment of modern parenthood, their offspring and their passed on values. Mankind is the most dangerous animal on this earth - even femalekind? This report depresses me. So, 9 months (half of the very light sentence) will soon pass for this low life to emerge again as a threat to respectable society again.I despair.
I cannot believe they only got 4 years. The kids knocked out on the floor and they still keep kicking him in the head. Did the judge not watch the video? Its a disgrace
SCUM!
Stav, at least they edited yours and printed most of it. More than they normally do.Free speech - not here mate
Five years hard labour and twenty strokes of the birch at the end of their imprisonment,to remind them that crime does not pay.
I would like to thank manchester education committee, for educating these thugs and giving us the society we have today, you should all change careers and get a job in the army and learn some respect for yourselves first, then the youngsters will have someone to look upto,i think the teachers are at fault here for not being able to control kids, we never had these problems in the 50s and 60s
Bring back the cane!!!
Bramhall
I would like to see people like this taken to the gallows along with any human rights merchants that stick up for them.
They should Napalm Kirkholt
Scum
What immediately comes to mind is what happened to Sophie Lancaster and Robert Maltby in Bacup, not far from Rochdale, last August, when Sophie was kicked to death and Robert suffered brain damage when set upon by a group of youths in a park.
The difference here appears to be that the victim suffered no permanent physical damage, although psychologically there must be lasting damage.
It is purely by luck that this innocent person survived at all given the intent which is obvious in the latter part of the video, but without a death the law appears lenient.
As for the the vindication of video surveillance, I would much rather have uniformed police on the streets than any number of video cameras, which are nothing but a cheap alternative to proper policing and are totally ineffective in dealing with such situations directly.
Classy individual. Let her rot.
Hope against hope when I read the headline that she had received 15 years.
Lets hope nobody uses her as a punchbag in nick eh!?
I will reiterate my previous comments based on a certain Mr. Barton that has not been published. Why is it that crimes cannot be stacked in order of severity? The worse the crime the longer the sentence - its not rocket science is it!
Why then do scum like this get a shorter sentence than a couple that tried to defraud an insurance company by faking his death. Ask any right-minded person and I am sure that they would tell you which crime was the worse and which should carry the longer sentence. As said on many occasions and by many people the Law is an ASS.