'Nowt to do'... How boredom turned sadistic brothers into torturers

The attacks that shocked Britain: Full coverage

Sheffield Crown Court yesterday heard evidence for the first time from the two siblings, aged 10 and 11 at the time of the attack last year, in the form of police interviews they gave shortly after their arrest.

Asked why he had committed the assault on the two young friends in Edlington, the older boy simply told officers: "Don't know. Cos there was nowt to do."

Then asked why he finally stopped the sadistic violence after an hour and a half of abuse, the boy said he "didn't want to do any more" because his "arms were aching".

His sibling also told officers the attack left his arms aching, and both said they would have continued if not for this.

Prosecuting, Nicholas Campbell QC also gave the younger brother's account of how the incident began, when they came across their victims playing on their bikes at a local recreation ground.

"As they were walking towards them, (the younger brother] said that he and his brother said to each other at the same time: 'Do you want to bang them?' By 'bang them' he meant 'batter them', and by that he meant to convey that they would punch them and continue to punch them.

He said he did not know why he wanted to do that."

The boy later said the plan was "just to punch and kick them and everything".

He went on to describe how they fetched branches with which to attack the young boys, the older brother mockingly describing his sibling's weapon as "rubbish" for being smaller than his own.

The younger brother also told how they stuffed socks into their victims' mouths "to stop their screaming".

Later, he said, they could not find any more missiles to throw at the stricken children, "so we, erm, kept stamping on 'em and kicking 'em".

The older brother was asked how close he thought he and his sibling had come to killing the boys.

He replied "eight or nine" on a scale of one to 10. Neither brother was prepared to discuss the sexual aspect to part of the attack in any detail.

The court was given detail of the terrible trauma suffered by both victims following the incident, as well as that of an 11-year-old choirboy attacked by the brothers in a similar style the week before.

All three have made good physical recoveries but are being treated for post-traumatic stress and continue to suffer nightmares.

Worst affected appears to have been the youngest victim of the Edlington attack, who was aged just nine at the time.

Mr Campbell said he now suffers "anxieties when out playing" and "does not enjoy quiet".

His behaviour at school has "deteriorated" and "continues to be a cause for concern…

He has been disruptive, and this had never been the case before."

His symptoms may require psychiatric treatment.

He and his friend bear permanent physical scars on their heads, faces and arms, with the older of the two also suffering permanent hair loss on one part of his scalp.

Most poignantly of all, Mr Campbell said: "The experience of these two victims has put a real strain on their own relationship. Whereas before they were regularly in each other's company, now that is no longer the case."

The court also heard of the suffering of their families.

"Their parents have their own anxieties and their own feelings of guilt over what happened to (the two boys] when they were not there to protect them, " Mr Campbell said.

The brothers, who are now aged 11 and 12, have admitted 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.

The three-day sentencing exercise concludes today.