THREE young boys who beat a father in a prolonged and vicious attack have not shown any remorse, a detective has said.
Former care worker Alan Willson’s face and skull were shattered when the boys battered him in a Worthing park on Easter Sunday last year.
Two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and Harry Furlong, 18, from Horsham bragged and joked about the remorseless attack minutes after beating Mr Willson with heavy logs.
Harry Furlong, 18, from Horsham, was found guilty by a majority jury of grievous bodily harm without intent following a 14-day trial at Hove Crown Court.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Dunn, senior investigating officer, said: "This was a sickening and violent assault on an innocent man, who had simply stepped in to help a young boy who was hurt and upset.
“The injuries Alan suffered showed this was a sustained and prolonged attack – the people responsible for this clearly intended to cause serious harm with their actions and have not showed any remorse since.”
DCI Dunn praised Alan’s wife Annie for her “bravery and dignity” throughout the trial.
He said: “I can only hope the result at court today brings some comfort to them and allows them to move forward and focus fully on Alan’s recovery.
“I’d also like to thank the team of investigators who worked so hard to build a strong case, and the witnesses who came forward to help us bring those responsible to justice.”
Chief Inspector Sarah Leadbeatter, district commander for Worthing, said she understands the “shock and upset” caused to the community following the attack.
She said: “I would like to reassure communities that we continue to do huge amounts of work in Worthing to try and tackle issues around youth violence and anti-social behaviour.
"It’s important to recognise that the problems we have seen in the local area are linked to a small cohort of young people, but it isn’t something that can be solved overnight, nor by one agency alone. It requires a partnership approach which we are heavily invested in and will continue to be a part of in the future.
“I want people to be safe but also feel safe in Worthing and therefore we will continue to have high visibility patrols in hot spot areas, dedicated policing operations focused on tackling youth violence and my neighbourhood policing teams will continue to engage with local communities to build on community intelligence and provide that reassurance.”
Police were called to Whitebeam Road in Worthing at around 7.30pm on Easter Sunday last year after Mr Willson was found injured in the street following the assault in nearby Longcroft Park.
Her Honour Judge Christine Henson QC told the court all three teenagers will be sentenced later.
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