A TEENAGE girl joined in a vicious gang attack on an innocent stranger in the town centre – then rifled his pockets as he lay unconscious.

Gemma Stafford, aged 18, of Hilltop Drive, Kirkholt, and four other thugs are now beginning prison sentences totalling 15 years for their parts in a sickening assault, which was caught on CCTV.

Amazingly, the 27-year-old victim, despite having been repeatedly kicked and punched about the body and head, suffered no major injuries.

Bolton Crown Court heard the man came across the gang, who had been on a 12-hour booze binge in a disused warehouse near the town centre, as he walked onto Yorkshire Street in the early hours of Saturday 15 March.

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.

The group then surrounded him and he was punched on the back of the head by 19-year-old Andrew Harbourne before being knocked off his feet by a second punch thrown by 20-year-old Stuart Shaw.

The court was told that Shaw and Harbourne, together with a third youth, Joshua McErlean, aged 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 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 took a last running kick as the pair made off.

Stafford 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, blaming alcohol for her memory loss.

Speaking after the case, Det Sgt Lee Johnson, of Rochdale CID, said: "This was a vicious and unprovoked attack and it is only by sheer luck the victim wasn’t permanently injured.

"The ferocity of the blows to his head could have caused serious and lasting damage. 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.

McErlean, of Bury Road, Rochdale, Shaw, of Bridge Street, Heywood, and Harbourne, of Clever Street, Burnley, were sentenced to four years after pleading guilty to 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.

MP Paul Rowen condemned the ‘sickening’ attack.

He said: "This despicable and callous offence has heaped shame on Rochdale.

"Fortunately, incidents like this are few and far between and I hope that people realise that this is not the true face of Rochdale.

"It is only by the grace of God that the victim wasn’t more seriously injured. This behaviour sickened me."

Mr Rowen also praised the police and Rochdale Council for working together to secure convictions.

He added: "This shows the importance of the council’s CCTV systems, otherwise these people may never have been caught.

"Law-abiding people have nothing to fear from our CCTV systems and this sends a message loud and clear that we will catch and prosecute those who break the law."