Justice for Josh Morgan: Whole of Cannock is behind campaign for victim of thugs
The whole of Cannock is behind the campaign to get justice for attack victim Josh Morgan, according to the woman behind an online petition that has attracted nearly 4,000 supporters.
Tamsin Wood said the town felt 'indignant' and 'disgusted' after finding out attackers James Robb and Alistair Douglas would be freed from prison within two and nine months.
Josh was left brain damaged and immobile and spent months in a critical state in hospital.
Mrs Wood, aged 40, started the petition calling for the pair's time in prison to be extended.
She said: "The public outcry has been staggering. When I started the petition I had no idea it would get so many supporters. There is a hell of a lot of people who feel indignant and disgusted by the sentences given to this pair. The punishment does not fit the crime.
"Regardless of what some may say, Cannock is community spirited and you can just feel walking about that the whole town wants to get justice for Josh."
Mrs Wood knows Josh's family though the daily school runs.
She addressed the petition to Judge Jonathan Gosling who sentenced Robb, aged 23, of Langdale Green, to three years in jail and Douglas, aged 26, of Longford Road, to 27 months. But absurdly they will be freed between two and nine months because of the practice where prisoners only serve half of their sentence behind bars and a further reduction because of the time they spent electronically tagged.
Mrs Wood said: "The petition was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.
"I just had this feeling that we needed to do something.
"I think once the full facts were released the sheer injustice was evident for all to see.
"Josh has suffered irrepressible injuries. His life will never be the same again.
"All the freedoms that these two were able to enjoy while on bail and tagged such as going to shops, seeing friends, sleeping in their own beds, Josh has been denied because of their actions."
The Express & Star has launched the Justice for Joshua campaign, supporting the petition and calling for a review of the prison sentences.
Cannock Chase MP Amanda Milling has backed the campaign and is raising the case with Justice Secretary Michael Gove.
Josh, from Cannock, was walking across the Backcroft car park behind Poundland when he was attacked by the two drunken men in the early hours of March 9 last year.
He suffered a fractured skull, swelling and bleeding to the brain. They admitted to inflicting grievous bodily harm after prosecutors dropped a higher charge that would have carried an unlimited maximum sentence.
