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| Kane Price, 15, and Ashley Farrow, 18, sentenced for attack | Kane Price, 15, and Ashley Farrow, 18, sentenced for attack |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two teenagers have been given custodial sentences at Cardiff Crown Court for beating a homeless man because they "didn't value his life". | |
| Kane Price, 15, and Ashley Farrow, 18, used a wooden chair leg to beat Vladimirs Kazlausks, 54, who was sleeping rough in a Newport underpass. | Kane Price, 15, and Ashley Farrow, 18, used a wooden chair leg to beat Vladimirs Kazlausks, 54, who was sleeping rough in a Newport underpass. |
| They were found guilty of grievous bodily harm by a jury last month. | They were found guilty of grievous bodily harm by a jury last month. |
| Price, was sent to a young offenders institute for seven-and-a-half years. Farrow was sentenced to six years. | Price, was sent to a young offenders institute for seven-and-a-half years. Farrow was sentenced to six years. |
| The teenagers would normally be entitled to anonymity because of their age, but Judge Robert Jay identified them because of the ferocity of their attack. | The teenagers would normally be entitled to anonymity because of their age, but Judge Robert Jay identified them because of the ferocity of their attack. |
| He said: "You treated your victim as beneath contempt - both show a worrying complete lack of human empathy. | He said: "You treated your victim as beneath contempt - both show a worrying complete lack of human empathy. |
| "You both know what you did that evening - although you are continuing to deny it. | "You both know what you did that evening - although you are continuing to deny it. |
| "The victim was completely helpless and couldn't have found himself in a more exposed position. | "The victim was completely helpless and couldn't have found himself in a more exposed position. |
| "You both regarded him as easy game but the law treats everyone as being equally deserving of respect and dignity." | "You both regarded him as easy game but the law treats everyone as being equally deserving of respect and dignity." |
| He added: "The victim was left for dead. You thought he might be dead and he certainly might've died." | He added: "The victim was left for dead. You thought he might be dead and he certainly might've died." |
| Price, who led the attack, had only just turned 15 when he beat Latvian-born Mr Kazlausks into a coma with a wooden chair leg in May, and Farrow was 17. | Price, who led the attack, had only just turned 15 when he beat Latvian-born Mr Kazlausks into a coma with a wooden chair leg in May, and Farrow was 17. |
| Prosecutor Michael Jones said: "It was a brutal and gratuitous attack by two young boys on a vulnerable homeless man. | Prosecutor Michael Jones said: "It was a brutal and gratuitous attack by two young boys on a vulnerable homeless man. |
| "With repeated use of a wooden chair leg they tried to kill him and left him for dead. | "With repeated use of a wooden chair leg they tried to kill him and left him for dead. |
| "They didn't value his life." | "They didn't value his life." |
| Mr Kazlausks was left in a coma for a week with multiple face fractures, but survived. However he has lost the sight in one of his eyes. | |
| The court heard his attackers later boasted about what they had done. | The court heard his attackers later boasted about what they had done. |
| Det Insp Justin O'Keeffe, of Gwent Police, said: "These two teenagers preyed on the vulnerability of a man living in Newport and beat him severely in this horrendous attack, without any thought of consequences. | Det Insp Justin O'Keeffe, of Gwent Police, said: "These two teenagers preyed on the vulnerability of a man living in Newport and beat him severely in this horrendous attack, without any thought of consequences. |
| "Not only did they cause extensive injuries to the victim, but they also acted with no thought of what cost their actions had on their own future or the lives of their families." | "Not only did they cause extensive injuries to the victim, but they also acted with no thought of what cost their actions had on their own future or the lives of their families." |