Victim's relief as bus attackers convicted (From Witney Gazette)

Victim's relief as bus attackers convicted

9:33am Tuesday 1st July 2008 in Witney

AN RAF serviceman has spoken of 'returning to normal' after two teenagers who attacked him as he got off a bus in Carterton were found guilty of grievous bodily harm.

Peter Forrest, 24, was knocked unconscious and left with a badly broken ankle after being punched and kicked on his way home to RAF Brize Norton after a night out in Witney in February.

His 17-year-old male attackers - who cannot be named for legal reasons - were convicted at Oxford Youth Court on Monday.

Reacting to the verdict, Mr Forrest said: "I am really pleased about that. I hope they will get a decent punishment at the end of the month."

The incident took place after the victim and his attackers, who had been drinking that night, shared the top deck of a bus ride home at about 1.30am.

One of the boys, who was in a group of youths at the back of the bus, punched Mr Forrest in the face, before the group got off the vehicle ahead of their victim and made their way to his bus stop further along the route.

After Mr Forrest had stepped off the bus, one of the youths punched him to the ground, before he was kicked and stamped on.

A passing taxi driver and his passenger witnessed the incident, and raised the alarm.

The senior aircraftsman said he was pleased that he could now draw a line under the incident, but admitted his injuries would always serve as a reminder of his ordeal.

He said: "I am just about getting back to normal now. I have just started running again - I used to run every day - and I am just getting into it again.

"I have got seven screws and a plate in my leg, and that is there for life. It does ache from time to time, and I have just got to put up with it. I am definitely a lot more wary when I go out. I am much more aware of those sorts of gangs of youths."

Mr Forrest said: "I will definitely stay away from the top deck of a bus."

Presiding over Oxford Youth Court, District Judge Wright refused to uphold requests for the attackers' anonymity to be lifted.

She said it was not in the public interest for people to know who they were, and because of the problems it would cause their families. Awaiting their sentence would be an 'ordeal' for them, she added.

In 'unhesitatingly' delivering her guilty verdict, Judge Wright said the pair had acted together, and 'both were responsible for causing really serious injuries in their own right'. She told the boys that a custodial sentence was a possibility, before handing them unconditional bail ahead of separate sentencing dates at the end of July.