TWO ‘unremorseful’ Newport teens have been locked up for a brutal attack on a sleeping homeless man which nearly killed him.

Kane Price, 15, and Ashley Farrow, 18, were found not guilty of attempted murder, but guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent on homeless man Vladimirs Kazlausks, 54, following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court last month.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Robert Jay told the defendants they had shown no remorse and saw the their victim as ‘beneath contempt’, showing a worrying lack of empathy.

The trial had heard how Mr Kazlausks was attacked while he was sleeping with a wooden table or chair leg found in an underground service road known as ‘junkies’ tunnel’ by the Kingsway centre in Newport. He was left with serious injuries.

Both teenagers, who could not be named for legal reasons during the trial, blamed the other for the attack on May 8.

The court heard excerpts from Mr Kazlausks victim impact statement, where he said the near-fatal attack left him feeling like he is close to having a nervous breakdown.

He said the incident left him in hospital for a week, some of which was in intensive care, and that he was waiting to undergo facial surgery after suffering serious injuries including being left partially sighted in one eye. He also suffered from broken fingers, bruising on his shoulder and pain in his lower back.

In mitigation, Price’s defence barrister, Andrew Morse, told the court: “He is a very young man and this is the first time he has been in custody.

“He is not a young man without promise. He is not unintelligent. His family are devastated by what has gone on.”

He added that Price is sorry for what happened.

But the judge argued: “He blamed his friend despite the overwhelming evidence he wielded the weapon.”

During their trial at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Michael Jones told the jury Price was later spotted on CCTV re-enacting the crime to friends.

Farrow’s defence barrister told the court: “It is evident that he lacks consequential thinking skills and is described as follower rather than a leader. “Ashley is reluctant to admit he is frightened of Kane.”

He added Farrow had displayed ‘poor judgement’.

Addressing the pair, Mr Justice Jay said: “The victim was savagely beaten about the head, although probably not the 40 times you boasted of to your friends.

“The attack was sufficient to cause fatal injuries, and you were both aware of that. The victim was left for dead.

”Both of you lied to the jury, although Kane Price’s lies were on a truly epic scale.

“I have struggled to work out your motivations for this. I have no doubt you considered this victim as beyond contempt. You both show a worrying lack of human empathy.”

The only mitigation in both cases is your young ages, as you were both children at the time of this attack.

”There is no genuine remorse in either of you.

He added: "I am satisfied that you, Kane Price, wielded the blows. I cannot be satisfied that you, Ashley Farrow, did.

"Both of you are described as being of high risk of causing future serious harm to others."

Price was given a seven and a half year custodial term, to be served at a young offenders’ institution, with a four year extended licence. Farrow was given a six year custodial sentence and a three and a half year extended licence, also to be served at a young offenders institution DI Justin O’Keeffe said: "These two teenagers preyed on the vulnerability of a man living in Newport and beat him severely in this horrendous attack, without any thought of consequences.

"Not only did they cause extensive injuries to the victim, but they also acted with no thought of what cost their actions had on their own future or the lives of their families.

"Today goes some way in getting justice for the victim, who can now rebuild his life knowing that the offenders are serving considerable custodial sentences."