Two admit murdering Brent Martin for ‘sport’

Jan 9 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

A GANG of youths beat and tortured a disabled man to death for “sport”, a court heard yesterday.

Brent Martin was repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and head-butted by three youths who bet each other £5 they could knock him out, the jury was told.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that William Hughes and two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, chased Brent across two estates in Sunderland, subjecting him to a series of brutal assaults.

Finally he was left dying in a pool of blood next to a parked car in Baxter Road, Town End Farm.

Hughes, 21, of Washington Road, Sunderland, and the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, yesterday pleaded guilty to murder.

The 17-year-old, also from Sunderland, denied the charge and went on trial accused of murder.

Prosecutor Toby Hedworth QC told the court: “They behaved like a pack of animals as they repeatedly punched, kicked, head-butted and stamped on Brent Martin.

“That man Brent Martin never lifted an aggressive finger towards them and they did that to him until he was dead. They did that for their own sport.”

The court was told that the attack began at a bus stop when the 17-year-old bet £5 that the 16-year-old – both were trained as boxers – could not knock out Brent with his right hand. The 16-year-old kissed his right fist, then his left fist before repeatedly knocking down Brent.

The disabled man was then chased across the Town End Farm and Hylton Castle estates for around a mile where he was attacked on at least four occasions.

A post-mortem examination revealed Brent died from a massive head injury and had suffered at least 18 separate blows to the head and neck.

A 47-year-old woman – the mother of the 16-year-old – is also on trial accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

She is accused of destroying evidence by washing the blood-stained clothing of her son.

The trial continues.