Beard fire attack pair detained

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Two men who set fire to a train passenger's beard as he slept have been detained for the "gratuitous attack".

Dean Hardy, 20, and Aedan Palmer, 19, assaulted Luke Kennedy, 22, on a train from Brighton-to-Littlehampton in 2008.

Hardy, of Crawley, was sent to a young offenders' institution for two years and Palmer, of Lancing, for 16 months.

The judge at Chichester Crown Court told them "right-thinking members of the public are understandably appalled by your cowardly and callous actions".

Mr Kennedy suffered severe burns to his lips, ears and cheeks while his nasal hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were singed off.

Judge Claudia Ackner said the attack "defied belief".

"In my view this was a gratuitous attack on a stranger," she said. "You abandoned him in a situation where he was unable to look after himself."

'Deeply remorseful'

During their trial, jurors heard Hardy, of Grace Road, and Palmer, of Tower Road, spent that afternoon in Lancing and had each drunk about 10 cans of lager.

They met two younger boys they knew vaguely and decided to take the train to Durrington to buy cannabis.

They got on the train at Lancing and began taunting Mr Kennedy, who was asleep.

Aedan Palmer set light to Mr Kennedy's beard as he slept

Palmer then put a lighter to his "significantly long" beard and set it alight. They got off at the next station and fled.

Following publicity about the attack, Hardy handed himself in to police two days later and was arrested. Three others were arrested the next day.

Hardy, who has five previous convictions, including another attack on a train passenger, was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm following a two-week trial last month.

Palmer had pleaded guilty to the attack at an earlier hearing.

John Greenan, representing Palmer, said he was recently selected for the England youth sea fishing squad and was deeply remorseful for his actions.

Both men were cleared of the more serious charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Two 14-year-old boys who cannot be named for legal reasons, were acquitted of both charges.