Grieving family's disgust as charges ruled out

David Cox, 18, who was autistic and had a mental age of an eight-year-old, was battered as he made his way home after playing football with friends.

He was approached by a gang of youths and was attacked and knocked to the ground. The teenagers walked away leaving him unconscious with severe head injuries.

David, who suffered from autism and dyspraxia, was left brain dead as a result of the attack at Bessacarr, near Doncaster, last June.

His family made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life-support machine the following day.

Three men from the area, two who are now 19 and one aged 20, were initially arrested on suspicion of assault and then manslaughter once David died.

The police investigation meant relatives had to wait seven months before his body was released so they could hold a funeral.

Now David’s parents have been told by police they have been released from bail without being charged because there was “insufficient evidence” to secure a conviction against them in court.

The family had moved from Leicestershire to Bessacarr two years before David died, in an attempt to provide him with a better life.

His parents Heidi, 38, and Clive, 44, who have appealed against the decision not to prosecute the men, believe their son was picked on because of his disability.

Mrs Cox said: “We are absolutely disgusted. It is an insult that nobody will pay for this, that there will be no justice for David.”

She added: “We have been to hell and back over this, we had to wait all that time before we could bury David.

“That was heartbreaking enough but now we have been told that nobody is to be prosecuted. We feel totally let down but we won’t give up and we have lodged an appeal against the decision.”

Det Chief Insp Matt Fenwick, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “While we sympathise that a family have lost their son, this case has been fully investigated and all available evidence considered.

“The result shows there is not enough evidence to continue a prosecution and the investigation has now been referred to the coroner.”

A date for the inquest into the circumstances surrounding David’s death has not yet been set.