Teenager jailed for plank attack
A teenager who attacked a woman with a plank of wood has been given a life sentence.
Gary Young, 17, from Whitley Bay, carried out the unprovoked attack on the 40-year-old woman near the Newcastle Arena on 6 September 2005.

The sustained attack left the woman, who was on her way to work at the time, with serious head injuries.

On Friday he was given a life sentence at Newcastle Crown Court, after earlier pleading guilty to attempted robbery.

The court heard how Young grabbed the woman around the neck from behind, before pushing her into a hedge. He then began to kick her before striking her several times on the head with a large plank of wood.

Complete stranger

He made no attempt to steal anything from his victim and after a sustained attack lasting around a minute he ran off, leaving the woman with a head wound which needed six stitches.

Police forensics experts used mucus found at the scene to track down Young. Throughout the case it has never been clear why he carried out the assault.

After the sentence, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: "What made this horrific attack stand out is the fact such incidents are extremely rare.

"There are very few incidents where people are attacked without motive by complete strangers.

"Officers were very quickly on the scene following this attack and a massive amount of resources were put in to tracing the offender."

Young was told he must serve a minimum term of five years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4998676.stm

It says he plead guilty to attempted robbery but it also says he made no attempt to steal anything and it was a motiveless attack.