'We cannot let this pass'

By Katharine Quarmby

Three people who kicked a man with learning difficulties to death have won reductions in their minimum sentences at the Court of Appeal.

Brent Martin, 23, was set upon last August by three trained boxers who kicked, punched and stamped on him repeatedly.

One later said: “I’m not going down for a muppet.”

William Hughes, 22, Marcus Miller, 16, and Stephen Bonallie, 17, were sentenced to minimum prison terms of between 15 and 22 years.

But the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, Mr Justice Goldring and Mr Justice Plender, sitting at the Court of Appeal last month, imposed a new minimum of 19 years for Hughes, 15 for Bonallie and 13 for Miller.

Disability campaigners are furious. Julie Newman, chair of the UK’s Disabled People’s Council, said: “I’m so angry about this…It's a rallying call. As disabled people, we really cannot let this pass.”

Liz Sayce, chief executive of RADAR, said: “Disabled people’s confidence that hate crimes will be treated seriously is already weak; this reduction could jeopardise it even more.”

Ian Macrae, Disability Now’s editor, said: “Mr Martin was targeted by criminals because he was disabled. Those responsible should have been given longer sentences under hate crime sentencing provision.”

Robin van den Hende, of Voice UK, said that the judges’ decision would shake disabled people’s already limited confidence in the criminal justice system.