Youth pleads guilty to charge

An Exmouth youth, who has already been detained for stabbing to schoolboys in the resort, is back behind bars for a vicious street kicking.

Exeter Crown Court heard 20-year-old Christopher Greenaway was on the fringes of a much more savage attack in the city centre, where a man sustained life-threatening injuries. He suffered numerous skull and facial fractures, was in a coma and on a life support machine. He needed an operation to alleviate bleeding into the brain and his life has 'utterly changed' forever.

That attack was carried out by 27-year-old Damian Gallin who beat Darak Dendle within an inch of his life in a petty row over drinking in public.

Gallin repeatedly punched and kicked his victim, banged his head on the pavement and stamped on him. Witness said it was like 'booting a football' and added that it was lucky the victim survived or that his head remained on his body.

When witness Christopher Cox went to try and pull off Gallin, Greenaway delivered a 'massive kick', which knocked him unconscious.

Prosecutor David Evans said Mr Cox sustained two eye socket fractures and had to undergo an operation to have the bones wired up. He was left with blurred vision after the street attack on him.

The court heard that Greenaway had already been detained for four years after two offences of grievous bodily harm with intent, when he was 15. He had stabbed two schoolboys who were complete strangers, one in the neck and the other twice in the stomach. At the time, Greenaway was with another youth and they had chased and caught the victims who tried desperately to run away.

Greenaway, of Bradham Lane, Exmouth, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Cox and was sent to youth custody for 30 months with a 30-month extended licence period.

Gallin, from Exeter, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to his victim and was given a sentence of imprisonment for public protection and told he must serve at least four-and-a-half years before being considered for parole.