Sentence halved for chip shop attacker

A teenager who left a 17-year-old almost totally blind and severely brain damaged when he punched him in the head outside a chip shop in Wolverhampton has had his sentence halved by appeal court judges.

Simon Owen, aged 19, struck young victim James Mills after a "senseless" row erupted in August last year. Mr Mills went crashing to the ground and hit his skull on the pavement in Birmingham Road. He will require nursing care for the rest of his life because of his injuries.

The noise as the teenager's head hit the ground was so loud that a resident in a nearby house heard it, London's Court of Appeal was told yesterday.

Owen, of Birches Barn Avenue, Bradmore, left the scene and later told police that the severity of James's injuries was "bad luck".

Mrs Justice Cox told the Appeal Court that James would require nursing care for the rest of his life and had permanent psychological and brain damage.

Owen admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to four years' detention at Wolverhampton Crown Court in March this year.

But yesterday Mrs Justice Cox, sitting with Lord Justice Hooper and Judge Jeremy Roberts QC, agreed the sentence was too long because of Owen's youth and previous good character.

She told the court: "Before August 2, 2007, the victim had been fit and in good health and enjoying a normal and active life."

Calling the dispute "senseless" she said Owen approached his victim and asked him "what his problem" was before landing a single "exceptionally forceful" blow to his face.

But the judge added: "We accept the submissions that this matter was neither premeditated nor sustained.

"Owen deliberately chose to involve himself in an aggressive incident in a public area – it was wholly unnecessary and he should have just walked away."

But, slashing Owen's sentence to two years, Mrs Justice Cox said he had shown genuine remorse.