'Cynical' Northampton thug pretended to be friend of man he just knocked out so he could get closer and stamp on his head again

A student who drunkenly beat a man unconscious in Northampton returned to the scene of the attack and pretended to be the victim's friend - just so he could push through a crowd of witnesses and stamp on his head some more.

Devane Reynolds-Anderson, of Erdington, Birmingham, had already savagely kicked the man in the head in a group attack on the Drapery when he seemingly decided to make sure his victim was seriously hurt.

Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday (March 19) how the 25-year-old and his two co-offenders - Anas Asir and Arlington Miller, both of Lambeth, London - led a group attack against two men in March 2018.

In sentencing, Recorder Mr Collingwood Thompson said: "There is a huge public concern in young men drinking to excess and indulging in violence. It has become very much a scourge on our town centres."

The incident broke out in March 2018 when the three attackers and another yet unidentified male were seen following one of their two victims out of the Platform nightclub in George Row.

Moments later, at the junction of the Drapery with Mercer's Row, they surrounded their victim.

However, CCTV played showed to court showed how in a chaotic couple of seconds, a car pulled up another another man joined the victim in squaring off against the attackers - only for the group to set on him instead.

Reynolds-Anderson in particular dealt a savage kick to the second man's head and seemingly knocked him out.

While his co-offenders chased after their first victim, the 25-year-old stood and taunted the out-cold man before stamping on his head.

The attackers broke away and ran off, and members of the public ran over to help the unconscious man - only for the gang to return seconds later.

Prosecutor Mr Mark Gadsden said: "It was then that Reynolds-Anderson cynically told the gathered witnesses that he was the unconscious man's friend. That enabled him to part the group and stamp on his head."

Reynolds-Anderson, of Birmingham, was studying at the University of Northampton at the time of the attack but dropped out after he was charged with attempted GBH.

Recorder Thompson said: "It was unforgivable. You kicked a helpless man in the head. When public spirited members of the public tended to him, you told them you were his friend so you could stamp on his head.

"Had this case come to court sooner there wouldn't be a court in the country that wouldn't send you straight to prison."

However, in sentencing, the judge was moved to spare all three young men immediate jail after hearing they had not reoffended in the three years since the fight.

Anderson-Reynolds's defence barrister stated his client had also begun working with young offenders since the attack as an effort to "turn away" from violence. He was sentenced to a 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Azir and Miller were both handed 12 month community orders and unpaid work.