10:45pm UK, Friday May 16, 2008

Four youths who kicked and beat a former soldier to death have been jailed for life.

The teenagers had gathered in a lonely motorway underpass and called a friend to say they were "waiting to beat up someone".

Murdered: Stephen Green

They had been drinking brandy and strong beer and smoking cannabis before they launched their attack on 55-year-old Stephen Green.

Sentencing Judge John Bevan branded the youths' behaviour as "feral" and said it was "chance" that Mr Green was the first person to come along.

Bachelor Mr Green was cycling home from work late at night when he was ambushed.

Kicked, stamped on and battered by the group, he clung on to life in hospital for nine days before dying from a blood clot in his lungs caused by his injuries.

His rucksack, which contained just £5.65 in change, was found discarded near the scene of the attack with the money still inside.

Nicholas Garland, 18, Shane Liddy, 19, Richard McNamara, 19, and Darryll Bennett, 18, all of Luton, were all handed life sentences for murder at Luton Crown Court.

At the time of the attack Bennett and McNamara were both out on bail for robbery offences and Liddy was serving a community sentence for attempted robbery.

Judge Bevan told them: "The word feral most accurately describes your behaviour. Some animals hunt in packs but they usually do so for food. You behaved as a pack for entertainment."

Outside court Mr Green's elderly parents, Thora, 83 and Eddie, 81, said the lack of remorse shown by the defendants had made them feel "terrible".

But Mrs Green added: "We have had justice today, thank you. He was a wonderful son and we will miss him terribly."

Mr Green said: "He was generous, he gave to charity every month, and hard working all his life and something like this shouldn't have happened."

Mr Green was in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps for nine years and was made a corporal.

He served in Belize and Cyprus and went on four tours of duty to Norway. He also took part in peacekeeping missions with the UN.