Teens jailed after being found guilty of Harlow assault
They launched an unprovoked attack in January 2021 on a man in his 20s
Two 19-year-old boys have been jailed after being found guilty of GBH by a jury in September.
Alfie Speed and Aaron Millest were found to have assaulted a man in his 20s in January 2021, in a serious and unprovoked attack in Harlow.
An investigation into the assault by Essex Police found Speed and Millest approached the victim in a wooden area behind the Purple Emperor Pub, where he was punched to the ground, kicked in his head and stamped on.
After being assaulted the victim managed to head to Quarry Springs, where he then collapsed and was found, then taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Thankfully, he has been able to recover, but police say he "continues to live with the lasting impact of the incident physically and emotionally."
Both Millest and Speed were charged with Section 18 GBH and Section 20 GBH - they were found guilty of section 20 but not guilty of section 18.
On Friday October 27th, they were sentenced in court, Millest to two and a half years in prison, Speed, who was also sentenced for drug supply offences, was jailed for 42 months.
Detective Inspector Lydia George, who led the investigation, said:
“This assault has left the victim dealing with the lifelong physical and emotional aftermath of two men’s violent and mindless actions.
“Both Speed and Millest waited for their victim, before punching and kicking him while he lay defenceless on the ground.
“Our investigation which followed was extensive, involving the piecing together of information and CCTV to prove the pair’s involvement.
“No sentence will give the victim his life back. It is only through excellent medical care he has been able to recover to some degree.
“While he continues to deal with the trauma of this attack, we hope the work of many at Essex Police in securing this conviction gives him a degree of solace.
"I would praise him for the patience and fortitude he has shown throughout this lengthy and difficult process.”