Newbury Nightingales estate horror: Jake Bozarth, Dwayne Toussaint and Jake Blandford found guilty of beating Callum Brown into coma

A gang has been convicted of chasing, catching and beating a housing estate rival into a coma.

The mayhem followed a summer of violence on The Nightingales in Newbury which forced police to impose a rare, emergency Section 60 order giving them enhanced powers to keep order.

In June, the Newbury Weekly News reported how drug dealer Callum Brown slashed at a woman’s exposed throat amid weeks of mob violence on the estate.

The victim, Lisa Cross, only escaped potential decapitation because, a court heard, another, balaclava-clad attacker happened to pull her head back - exposing her neck but narrowly causing the blade to miss.

At the time, Cathy Oliver, prosecuting, told Reading Crown Court: “There’s a long history to this matter.”

It began, she said, when police raided Ms Cross’ home on the estate and seized a drugs haul.

She explained that Brown had given them to Ms Cross’ 15-year-old son to sell for him but that, following the raid, Brown held her family responsible for his financial loss.

This month, jurors at the same court heard how Brown was himself attacked.

Brown suffered a shattered cranium, broken hand and bleeding on the brain at the base of the skull.

He survived but had to endure invasive brain surgery and spent seven days in a medically induced coma, the jury heard.

In the dock were Jake Bozarth, Dwayne Toussaint and Jake Blandford.

All three, from the estate and all aged 18 and 19, were convicted on Monday (November 25), of causing Brown grievous bodily harm with intent, violent disorder and of possessing offensive weapons in the form of baseball bats or metal poles.

Blandford and Toussaint were also convicted of a second violent disorder by attacking another man on the estate, Oliver Mace.

All the offences happened on May 8 last year.

CCTV footage of the initial incident showed Brown fleeing behind a garage in Dickens Walk.

An audio recording played to the jury featured thuds, screaming and a loud crack before a male voice shouts in apparent jubilation: “Brownie just got done; Brownie just got done,” as another laughs maniacally.

Brown was hospitalised and maintained in a medically induced coma while he was intubated, treated for bleeding on the brain and base of the skull, compression of the brain and a skull fracture.

He also underwent surgery to place a pressure bolt in his skull to monitor or drain excess fluid.

All three defendants had initially been on bail during the trial.

But it can now be reported that Toussaint and Bozarth had their bail revoked and were remanded in custody after they posted film of themselves on social media posing near the court precincts mocking the judicial process, stating: “Watch us beat this trial.”

There was an image of a rat superimposed on the footage which, the prosecution claimed, was a veiled threat.

During the trial jurors were told of a “code of silence” on the estate in which anyone who complained to police about disorder was branded a “grass” and marked for retribution.

Judge Sarah Campbell adjourned sentencing to a later date.