Yob’s chilling words as gang smashed teen’s face against a tree and stamped on his head
Michael Rutherford was beaten to a pulp by four vicious thugs
A TEENAGE boy was beaten, stamped on and kicked in the face during a brutal street assault.
Michael Rutherford was left needing emergency dental work after suffering a catalogue of injuries to his face during the attack.
As he was assaulted, the 18-year-old heard his attackers say "go to sleep".
Now, his worried mum is pleading for witnesses who saw the incident, carried out by four thugs, to come forward.
Deborah Rutherford, 46, has been left horrified after the attack in Cramlington Village.
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“I just really want these four men to pay for what they have done,” she said. “They could have killed my son.”
The teen has been left shaken and needing dental work after the brutes knocked one of his front teeth out.
Michael, an apprentice mechanic at Cramlington Car Care, was out having a drink with two friends on Friday night and crossed the street between Cramlington Working Men’s Club and the Blagdon Arms alone when his pals got talking to someone.
As he was crossing the road between 11.30pm and 12.30am, a man approached Michael and punched him in the face.
Deborah said: “Michael asked him what was going on and the three others joined in.
“They were heard to say "go to sleep" as they were kicking and stamping on his head.
“They even banged his head off a tree.”
After Michael’s friend managed to intervene, the offenders ran off.
They were heard to say "go to sleep" as they were kicking and stamping on his head.
Deborah Rutherford
Deborah added: “He’s suffered really badly. He has facial bruises, his ear is black and he needs dental treatment.
“They snapped one of his front teeth off and the other is crooked - and he had perfect teeth.
“This was completely unprovoked. I’ve had inboxes on Facebook from people who saw and they said Michael did nothing wrong, he was just crossing the street.
“He didn’t want to go to hospital so the police brought him home and told me he had been assaulted, It’s awful.”
Michael’s dad Mick, 50, posted a picture of his son’s battered face online in a bid to help track the suspects down.
The post has been shared over 1,000 times and the family have received messages from witnesses but they hope there are more people out there who know the culprit’s identities.
Michael, who lives with his Deborah and roofer Mick as well as his brother Callum Thompson, 21, and sister Ellie Rutherford, 16, has been left shaken by the scary attack.
The scars on his face will go away but I don’t know how he will cope with this.
Deborah Rutherford
She said: “He’s not himself.
“He’s very quiet and he’s not one to come and talk to me about it.
“I don’t think he will be going very far in the next few weeks.
“The scars on his face will go away but I don’t know how he will cope with this.”
A spokeswoman for Northumrbia Police said: “Police received reports of an assault outside the Blagdon Arms on Front Street in Cramlington at 11.34pm on Friday, February 10.
“An 18-year-old man was approached from behind and assaulted, the victim fell to the ground and was kicked in the face suffering facial injuries.
"The offender, who is described as wearing a grey jacket, then made off.
“The victim was checked over by ambulance crew at the scene but was not taken to hospital.
“Police are appealing for witnesses, anyone who was in the area and who may have seen or heard anything suspicious, is asked to contact police.
“Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting reference number 1323 of 10/02/17 or ring the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
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