Face of battered teenager
Tuesday 12th February 2008, 3:25PM GMT.
This is the battered face of 16-year-old Darren Jestico – the innocent victim of teenage yob violence on the streets of Telford.
The youngster today lies in a specialist hospital bed with serious head injuries nearly two weeks after he was the victim of a street attack.
Darren, of Wildwood, Woodside, was assaulted while he was with friends at the skatepark in Sutton Hill on February 1.
The unprovoked attack left him with bleeding and swelling to the brain and a fractured skull.
Darren’s father Stephen Jestico and stepmother Lyn Sugden today said their lives have been put on hold until they know what the future holds for him.
Mr Jestico, 41, a painter and decorator, said: “Darren went out with some friends to Sutton Hill. It was the first time he went there because he usually stays closer to home.
“He met some girls there but was attacked by somebody from another group of people at about 9pm.
“He lost consciousness after the attack and one of the girls’ dads picked him up and drove him back.
“When we saw Darren at about 10.15pm he was dazed and confused. He couldn’t remember even being attacked but he was clearly injured and we took him to the Princess Royal Hospital.”
Last week he was transferred to the specialist Walton Centre in Liverpool where he remains today.
His father said: “He is conscious now and can talk to us but there is still swelling in the brain so until that goes down we don’t know what the future holds.
“There will probably be some sort of brain damage on the behavioural side. We are just hoping for the best.”
Mrs Sugden, 44, a community care worker, said: “This has devastated us and everyone in the family. It’s time for things like this to stop.”
Detective Sergeant Mark Bellamy, from Telford police, said: “Violent crime is a top priority for Telford police and we are investigating this incident thoroughly.
“This was an unprovoked attack on Darren and our inquiries are ongoing. Incidents such as this are not commonplace and it’s important to stress Shropshire is a safe place to live.
“Any such incident such as this will be thoroughly investigated and we are doing all we can to make sure people who commit these offences are apprehended and brought to justice.”
A 17-year-old youth has been arrested and bailed by police investigating the incident.
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This is the kind of yob culture that goes on these days up and down the UK.
You can be minding your own business and then BOOM.
It is about time the police took action with youngsters and gangs hanging around the streets at all hours of the day and night.
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The scum who did this should be locked up!
Again, another fine example of this country’s feral children!
Hope this poor kid gets better soon!
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Typical of the yob culture taking place day in, day out in the UK. What with “happy slapping” and the need to carry an offensive and danger weapon upon your person.It simply is not good enough – what gives them the right to do this to another person?
It is about time the police took direct action on youngsters and gangs hanging around the streets at all hours.
Where are the parents in all this, they need to take responsibility. The kids blame not having anything to keep them occupied and that their parents dont want them around etc. Total rubbish.
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Another example of the mindless cowardly thugs who plague our society. Hope they catch the culprits and throw the key away
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I was brought up in Shropshire in the 50s and 60s. Very little of violence at this level was seen or known about. Police were allowed to police, I got the occassional proverbial kick up the backside when I crossed the line. Allow the police to do their job without the constraints they are currently limited by. I now live in Spain, violence does occur but retribution from the police is swift and effective, free from political correctness and the bleeding heart brigade.
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Oh my god thats my boyfriend, looking at that is making me cry i love him so much how could anyone ever do that !!!
Im crying now !!
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That is sick we had police in school about this and said they no who did it
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These cowardly attacks are now commonplace country wide.
Why do people think they are hard when often four or more attack one.can they not see what cowards they are?.
I know a young “man” in the north
shropshire village where i live,
if he’s had a drink or two and accompanied by three or four of his mates,he becomes loud and abusive.when sober he’s very quiet.i believe the government are planing to introduce more tax on alcohol to reduce these incidents.
it will not stop this behaviour,
as drunken louts are not short of money.but it will penalize a poor working man like myself who likes a glass of wine after a hard days work.
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First of all, I hope Darren makes a speedy full recovery, I do not know the family, howver sadly this could have happened to any one of us with children. Those of us who are decent people can not come to terms and understand what prompts these people to act with so much aggression. Some may say, its drugs or drink and there is some truth in that. However it seems to me that there is a rapidly growing culture of violence and aggression in our youth that needs no reason or excuse. It is sad and immoral, but far worse is the inability of those that could make our streets safer, only to pay lip service with sound bites that are good for the media and little else. Far too often the culprits are not caught and on the occasions when they are, they are treated as though they are the victims with free holidays or free driving lessons. It will get worse yet, why should it not ? After all what measures are being taken to make our streets a safer place ? Ahh yes, I hear you cry, community police, exactly my point.
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Best of luck son, and your family.
I just hope this isn’t another example of the pointless tribal nonsense that has gone on for years between young people from the various new town estates.
Whatever, I hope you’re up and about soon.
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What action exactly should police take against youngsters and gangsters? Look at what happened to that poor lady who took action against yobs – she went to jail and lost her job! If the police take any kind of action they will be against the wall on charges of infringing human rights, racism, abuse etc. etc.
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I’ve been saying this for years but the human rights act needs serious ammendments made to it. People like this arent afraid of the consequences because they know they’ll get away with it with just a slap on the wrist.
Dont know you Darren but I hope you pull through this and that you get back up and about soon.
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I was there at the time im sorri daz i should hve cum dwn to see yoo !
cya soon Daz
xxx
xx
x
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just before christmas me and my family were out in woodside and we all went our own way the next day my neice mother phoned my niece was battered kick to the head and body by some youths in woodside she was not a pretty a site. more need doing to stop these youth
darren by strong mate hope all gose well for you xxx
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Wat thm people have dun they should be locked up 4 eva !
i was there tht night with my m8 n its a horrible feeling im sorry daz i should have cum dwn to meet you instead
thinkin of you all the time daz
x
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its ok asheigh
but he is conscious so thats a start yh
i hope he gets better
i was there that day i one of te 2 girls it didnt seem as bad at the ime as what it has acctually turned out 2 be at firstit was a cut lip but no we no its much more:(
is terrible wat people do these days !!!!
they need to stop it all
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so sutton hill hasnt changed that much then has it i was baught up there in the seventies , and it was bad then , what a shame that these thugs that did this will proberly only get a slap on the hand , as some social worker makes excuses for them
i hope he makes a full recovery
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So many people there that night, why did no one help him?
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I’m very shocked and saddened over what has happened to Darren and i hope to God he goes on to make a full recovery.
It was one person who hit him yet you are all saying that all of them that were there should be punished. The other members of the group who were 14/15 year olds had no idea that the one who hit Darren was going to do that. They dont normally hang around with the lad who threw the punch. But yet they should all be locked up for it?
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