'Wild dogs' murder youths jailed

Mi Gao Huang Chen died in hospital five days after the attack

Four youths who beat a man to death "like a pack of wild dogs" outside his takeaway shop have been jailed.

Mi Gao Huang Chen, 41, known as Michael, was kicked, punched, stamped on and battered with wooden clubs by the gang in Wigan, Gtr Manchester.

Anthony Dunleavy, 17, and Joe Sankey, Jason Hughes and Jamie Stephens, all 16, were convicted of murder and sentenced at Manchester Crown Court.

All were jailed for between eight and 10 years.

Dunleavy was sentenced to 10 years and Sankey for nine years and nine months. Both were found guilty by a jury last month.

Hughes was jailed for nine years and Stephens for eight years and six months. They had admitted murder.

Police said the four were guilty of an "unbelievably fierce" attack

All four youths, from Wigan, were aged 15 or 16 at the time of the killing.

The "savage and brutal" attack was caught on CCTV cameras outside Mr Chen's shop, the Superb Hut takeaway, in Scholes Precinct, on 23 April.

Mr Chen, his girlfriend and the chef confronted the youths over a broken window at his shop.

The youths were armed with a spade, wooden stake and sticks, but were soon outnumbered and cornered, Mr Nicholas Steer QC, prosecuting, told the court.

Hughes, described as the leader, wanted "revenge" but as the three tried to retreat, Dunleavy attacked the chef with a wooden stick.

He was punched and kicked by the gang and had his head stamped on and was hit with a wooden stake.

He suffered a broken jaw, fractured skull and multiple deep bruises to his head and all over his upper body.

The sheer savagery and brutality of the attack by you as a gang... aggravates the offence Mr Justice Royle

Det Ch Insp Steve Crimins, from Wigan police, said: "The attack on Michael was unbelievably fierce.

"Not only did the youths violently assault him with various weapons, including sticks, planks of wood and gardening tools, they then continued to attack him as he lay defenceless on the floor.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Royce said: "You acted far worse than a pack of wild dogs.

"The sheer savagery and brutality of the attack by you as a gang or group or pack aggravates the offence.

"This is the sort of street violence by a group that should not be tolerated by any civilised society."

A 17-year-old boy from the Wigan area was found not guilty of murder and a 17-year-old girl was given a two-year supervision order for violent disorder.

Eight other youths, aged 15 to 18, were charged with lesser public order offences and given a combination of fines and non-custodial sentences.