I'll just die here, said boy tortured by sadist brothers

The attacks that shocked Britain: Full coverage

The boy sustained serious head injuries in the sadistic 90-minute attack, including a fractured cheekbone. He would have died from hypothermia had he not been found soon afterwards, lying half-naked and semi-conscious by a stream after part of a ceramic sink was smashed across his head, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

The brothers aged 10 and 11, who carried out the attack in April last year later told police they did so because they were bored. They only stopped after an hour-and-a-half of violence because their "arms were tired".

The court heard yesterday their second victim, aged nine at the time, was deeply traumatised by what took place and wracked with guilt at having had to leave his injured friend to fetch help. In fact his actions in alerting people living nearby probably saved his friend's life.

The brothers, now 11 and 12, are being sentenced after admitting causing their victims grievous bodily harm with intent, robbing one of the boys of a mobile phone and the other of cash.

They admitted two counts of intentionally causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and also admitted causing another 11-year-old actual bodily harm a week before the young boys were attacked.

Nicholas Campbell QC described the horrific scene immediately after the brothers finally left the secluded woodland in Edlington where they had embarked on their assault using weapons which also included lit cigarettes, bricks, branches, barbed wire and broken glass.

"(The younger boy] crossed over the stream and knelt by his (friend's] side, " Mr Campbell said. "He asked him if he was all right. He replied: 'No. I can't see, and I can't move my body'. "(The boy] tried to encourage him to move, but he said: 'You go, and I'll just die here'."

The court heard their young attackers – who cannot be named for legal reasons – had a history of violence against both adults and children.

They had endured a "toxic home life" since an early age, involving repeated violence, drug and alcohol abuse. Both regularly witnessed their mother being beaten by their father, as well as being violently abused themselves.

As details of their home life were given, the younger brother became distressed, putting his head on the desk and sobbing.

The older boy had been smoking cigarettes and drinking vodka and cider since the age of nine, the court was told. He had also been smoking cannabis "grown on his father's allotment" from a similar age.

His lawyer, Peter Kelson QC handed the judge, Mr Justice Keith, synopses of the extreme horror movies Saw and Child's Play which he said at least one of the siblings had been shown at a very young age.

The boys grew increasingly wild and violent, and were finally put into care after their mother called social services last March saying she could "no longer cope".

The brothers will be sentenced later today, immediately after which the council will publish a summary of a serious case review into their care which is expected to detail key failings and missed opportunities.