Two men jailed for murder 15 years after attacking father Paul Machin in Peterborough

Two drunk teenagers who punched and stamped on a father's head as he walked home from a night out with his partner have been jailed for his murder, 15 years after the attack.

Shane Wright and Kieron Hennessy, then 17 and 18, set upon Paul Machin after he responded to abuse from a group the pair were in as they walked along Cherry Orton Road in Peterborough in 2006.

Mr Machin was knocked to the ground before the pair started kicking and stamping on his head as he lay "defenceless on the ground", said prosecutor John Price QC. Wright then went through Mr Machin's pockets, taking his mobile phone and tobacco, he said.

His injuries were so severe he remained in a permanent vegetative state until he died from a respiratory infection in August 2019 at the age of 58.

A statement to police from Mr Machin's partner Jane Powell, who was with him when he was attacked and who died last year, was read to the court.

She said: "While Paul was on the floor I saw male one (Hennessy) stamp on his head about 10 times in rapid succession. During this Paul stopped struggling."

She said that Wright kicked him in the head, went through his pockets and punched her twice in the face.

Wright and Hennessy, now 32 and 33, both admitted Mr Machin's murder at earlier hearings and were each sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison with a minimum nine-year sentence.

During sentencing, the judge the Honourable Mr Justice Murray said the attack had been "entirely gratuitous violence".

The two defendants had already been convicted in 2007 of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Machin, but murder charges were brought after Mr Machin died two years ago.

For GBH, the two men were sentenced to indeterminate sentences, each with minimum terms of 42 months in prison.

Mr Machin's daughter, Natalie Townley, said: "It's upsetting my children never met their grandad.

"Talking about my dad with my daughter breaks me."