A Kosovan teenager who left a 27-year-old with fatal head injuries after beating him around the head with a wooden stake was jailed for life last Friday.

The Old Bailey heard how Benet Sulkaj beat Vincent Swift with a 4ft tree support leaving him brain damaged on September 28 last year following a racially motivated argument between a group of Kosvans and Mr Swift's younger brother, Richard Swift, and his friend Guy Fitch.

Six days after the attack the parents of Mr Swift, of Thornton Heath, then had to make the agonising decision to switch off his life support.

Richard Swift, of Harcourt Road, Thornton Heath, and Mr Fitch of Hughes Walk, West Croydon, appeared in the same dock as Sulkaj following their conviction for violent disorder.

Two other Kosovans, Gentian Molla, 19, of Futherfield Close, Thornton Heath, who was cleared of murder, and a 17-year-old who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were also involved in the fight and were convicted along with Swift and Fitch of violent disorder.

Richard Swift choked backed tears as he was sentenced to 21 months and there were cries from the public gallery.

Judge Stephen Kramer told Sulkaj he would serve a minimum of 10 years, minus a period of just over a year spent on remand, before being considered for early release.

He told the 17-year-old: "In broad daylight in a suburban residential street you attacked Vincent Swift in the street, using a fearsome weapon.

"You cracked him over the head with that weapon with such force that you caused severe head injury from which he later died.

"You had been the subject of abusive and racist remarks made in the street to you but instead of calling the police or retreating, you armed yourself with a weapon.

"It was a premeditated and brutal assault."

Judge Kramer sentenced Molla to 27 months, the 17-year-old to 12 months, and Fitch to 18 months for violent disorder.