What justice? Thug who kicked terminally-ill grandfather in attack walks free from court 

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 13:34 EDT, 30 November 2010

Horrific injuries: Ken Oliver was in intensive care for a week after the attack on his doorstep in Broxbourne, Herts

A thug who walked free from court after viciously assaulting a terminally ill grandfather yesterday complained that he was the real victim.

Royal Mail worker Reece Kent, 19, repeatedly punched Ken Oliver before kicking him in the head in a case of mistaken identity.

Cancer sufferer Mr Oliver, 62, who has been given just three months to live, was left in a pool of blood on his doorstep with horrific injuries including a cracked left cheekbone, extensive bruising round his left eye and face, and a dislocated toe.

Mr Oliver, who had undergone surgery to remove a third of his lung just five weeks earlier, spent a week in intensive care at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, Essex, and a CT scan revealed bleeding in the brain and left temple.

Kent admitted carrying out the unprovoked attack – which took place in front of Mr Oliver’s wife Pauline, 64, and his three-year-old granddaughter – and pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm.

But he walked free from court last week with a six-month suspended sentence, while grandfather-of-three Mr Oliver, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, could only watch in disbelief.

Kent yesterday insisted he was the victim after getting online death threats following the assault.

He said: ‘I’ve been getting death threats on my Facebook because of this. I’ve had ten sent already.’

He brazenly claimed that the attack was nowhere near as serious as was claimed, adding: ‘He wasn’t lying in a pool of blood and I didn’t kick him in the head. I did kick him in his back when he was lying on the ground though.’

Unpunished: Reece Kent, 19, admitted to attacking Mr Oliver but walked free

The thug also denied filming the attack on his mobile phone, insisting: ‘I just had my phone in my hand to make a call.’

Yesterday Mr Oliver said: ‘I would love to have seen him go away for a long, long time. I could quite easily have died. I was expecting him to go to jail. I am gutted.

‘Before I knew what was going on I was being punched and kicked. My head was used as a football and the whole attack was recorded on a mobile phone.

‘I am appalled at the sentence. They were swearing and laughing in my face.
‘He should have been locked up for what he did. His ­barrister said he feels remorse but when he turned up in court he just sneered at me. I hope he is ashamed for the rest of his life.’

St Albans Crown Court heard that Kent and two friends began banging on Mr Oliver’s door at 3.30am on October 23 asking for someone called Molly.

Recorder Peter Digney told Kent he had decided by the ‘slightest margin’ not to send him to jail.

War hero beaten by burglars in 'obscene' attack dies aged 91

A World War II hero who was beaten by burglars two years ago has died today, aged 91.

Bob Schofield was attacked with an 'obscene level' of violence' hours after he had attended a Remembrance service.

The ex-Royal Navy sailor was at home with his wife, Mollie, then 87, when the couple were disturbed from sleep at their cottage in Salterforth, Lancashire.

Mr Schofield, who served on the dangerous North Atlantic convoys bringing aid to Russia, was punched repeatedly in the face and left lying in a pool of blood after valiantly trying to protect his wife.

He had recently contracted pneumonia after a fall at a care home where he had lived for more than a year.