Six years for woman who battered man and rifled through his pocket

Paul Mullaney with horrific injuries

A man and woman who battered a man before rifling through his pockets as he lay seriously injured in the road have been jailed.

Roxanne Elizabeth Margaret Preston (08/6/1990), of Falinge Road, Rochdale, admitted Section 18 Assault (causing grievous bodily harm with intent) at an earlier hearing. She was today, Friday 26 February 2010, jailed for six years.

Simon Robert Nardonie (04/12/1975), of no fixed address, admitted Section 20 Assault (causing grievous bodily harm) and was jailed for four years on 19 October 2009.

At about 1am on Tuesday 28 April 2009, a witness was woken by a disturbance outside his home on Milkstone Road, Rochdale.

The man looked out from his window to see the victim, a 43-year-old man, being repeatedly kicked in the head by Preston while Nardonie was rummaging through his pockets.

The pair then switched roles, with Nardonie seen to stamp several times on the victim's head while Preston riffled through his pockets.

The witness shouted at the pair before getting dressed, going outside and chasing the pair off.

He checked on the victim, who had serious head and facial injuries and called an ambulance.

While he was on the phone to emergency services Preston and Nardonie returned. Nardonie shouted at victim, who was lay in the road motionless and unconscious, whilst Preston armed herself with a large piece of wood and again began battering the victim about the head.

The pair were chased off a second time only to return again. This time Preston punched the victim about the head a further eight or nine times before she was heard saying, "I'll be back in half an hour. I'm going home to change, I'm covered in blood."

The pair were arrested a short time later. Both were covered in blood.

The victim was taken to hospital with life threatening head injuries, where he spent 4 days on a life support machine and a further ten days on a high dependency ward.

Nine months on he now depends heavily on his mother, whom he lives with, for help and support.

Detective Constable Chris Whalley, of Rochdale CID, said: "This was an unprovoked, sustained, frenzied and truly sickening attack.

"It is unclear what prompted Nardonie and Preston to launch this assault, but to repeatedly beat him as he lay unconscious on the floor defies belief.

"The victim has suffered physical and emotional injuries that will remain with him for many years.

"Had it not been for the witness he may well have been killed.

"He repeatedly saw off the defendants and sought urgent medical attention for the victim.

"His actions have rightly been commended by His Honour Judge Everett today."

In a victim impact statement, Paul Mullaney said: "When I first woke up from the coma I couldn't see out of my right eye, I couldn't talk nor could I feel my legs. My first thoughts were I had been run over by a car.

"I am now heavily reliant on my mother for help and support in a lot of things I do. I can't work and have to rely on benefits, which I have found very hard, as I have always been in employment.

"I feel very insecure in myself and won't go out alone. I get paranoid when I see people who I don't know as I think they are going to attack me - I feel like a prisoner in my own home.

"I will never be able to put into words the devastating affect this has had on my life.

"I am grateful to the young lad who came out that night and probably saved my life. I will never be able to repay him, the hospital staff and police for the wonderful job they have done.

"For those who attacked me, I just don't understand what they gained by doing this for the sake of money. It is pathetic, you just have to feel sorry for them."