Thirteen convicted for schoolboy hammer attack » Communities » 24dash.com

A total of 13 young men have now been convicted for their involvement in a brutal hammer attack on a schoolboy as the second of two trials concluded today.

In the last two days, five Asian men from Swindon were found guilty at Bristol Crown Court, of plotting to severely beat 16-year-old Henry Webster, at Ridgeway School in Wroughton, Wiltshire.

The attack in the school tennis courts last year was previously likened to a scene from a Quentin Tarantino film by prosecutor James Patrick.

Ginger-haired Henry was left fighting for his life and needed surgery after the assault which left him with three skull fractures and brain injury.

Aqduss Rauf, 20, and Bilal Yakub, 18, were found guilty today of conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm (ABH) and Rouble Meah, 20, Mahbub Ali, 19, and Kamran Khan, 24, were found guilty yesterday of the same charge.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder at the start of the second trial.

Javed Khan, 21, Mizonur Rahman, 18, and a 15-year-old boy were acquitted of conspiracy to commit ABH today.

In the second of two trials, the jury previously heard four teenagers - Wasif Khan, 18, Amjad Qazi, 19, and two boys, 15 and 16, who cannot be named, were found guilty in February of carrying out the attack with the DIY tool.

They were told three other youngsters aged 15 and 16 admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm before the first trial commenced.

Mr Patrick told the jury in the second trial that those charged with conspiracy had orchestrated the "revenge" attack via a series of phone call conversations and text messages.

He said: "Just as it is an offence to assault somebody, it is an offence for two or more people to agree to attack someone. We call this in law a conspiracy.

"There was a plan and an agreement. A plan between pupils at school and their older friends and relatives to teach him (Henry) a lesson. To take revenge. To attack him. To hurt him. To cause him injury."

Speaking after the first trial, Henry's mother Liz Webster criticised the school where the attack took place for making no "efforts to assist" her family.

She said: "This attack was not an isolated incident, it was a culmination of events. This hideous crime which has touched and affected so many young lives was wholly avoidable.

"That school has at no time made any efforts to assist us and my son's life and future prospects have been devastated.

"No parent should have to endure the heartache of their child being subjected to such horrifying violence whilst at school - in what should be an entirely safe and secure environment.

"And no child should have to experience any of the utter terror and pain my son suffered on what should have been an ordinary day in the protective surroundings of school."

Ms Webster was not available for comment after the second trial concluded.

Speaking today, Detective Sergeant Mark Wilkinson of Wiltshire Police said Henry and his family were "overwhelmed" by the success of the police operation.

He said residents of Wiltshire can rest assured these sort of attacks are "rare" in the county.

Wasif Khan was remanded in custody after the first trial. The other 12 have all been released on bail. They will all be sentenced at separate hearings yet to be fixed.