The distraught brother of a frail man who died after a savage and humiliating attack has told of the heart-wrenching decision he had to make for his life support to be turned off. Peter Cox was told his brother Paul Cox's brain was "dead and done" while he was in intensive care at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, for eight days after he was so badly beaten by Declan O'Donnell.
Paul Cox, 63, was filmed as he was repeatedly kicked in the face and stamped on by O'Donnell. The judge described his video commentary, which sickened viewers on a live-stream, as the "glorification" of his actions. O'Donnell pulled Paul Cox's trousers down, exposing his buttocks, and threatened to rape him.
He stamped on Paul Cox's genitalia. The only reason he stopped the attack was because police arrived.
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The pathologist found after he died he had head, chest, spinal injuries, with 20 separate fractures to the face, skull, collarbone, breast bone, ribs and spine, a ruptured oesophagus, bruised scrotum and bruising to the outside of the brain.
He died on February 18. Peter Cox, now 63, told Nottinghamshire Live the attack was disgusting. "I was horrified. Absolutely horrifying and unbelievable. We have seen the videos".
The sentence O'Donnell received was never going to be long enough, he says. "The fact he has been done for murder and not manslaughter and got life - that is good enough.
"The police and CPS did not let him get away with it, which we are glad about". Peter's wife, Sarah Cox, who lives with him in West Bridgford, said Paul Cox "was always joking and fabulous with our children".
"It is hard to put into words the shock. It's very sad". Peter and Paul Cox's eldest sister, Lyn Rolfe, also of West Bridgford, said Paul was funny and always made everyone laugh.
"He always had a good sense of humour," she told outside court after the hearing. "We are all shocked and appalled. It was completely senseless and brutal".
O'Donnell was found guilty of Paul Cox's murder on Monday (May 15) and was sentenced today to a minimum of 21 years and 272 days - the term he will serve of a life sentence before he can even be considered for parole.
Paul Cox lived in his "squalid flat", said Judge James Sampson, with his partner. O'Donnell attacked him because he hated him, Nottingham Crown Court heard on Friday, May 19, as a silent O'Donnell, wearing grey sweat pants and top, was sentenced.
Judge Sampson said he was sure O'Donnell, 24, previously of Mansfield Road, Nottingham, blamed him for the death of his mother some months earlier by supplying her with alcohol and drugs to feed her addiction, although there was no evidence to support this.
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O'Donnell had decided to visit Paul Cox's flat in Mansfield Road, Nottingham, in the early hours - after downing ten points of beer and two shots - to teach him a lesson. Intending to harm and humiliate him, he did not intend to kill him initially.
But the savagery of the attack intensified, and there came a point where he did not care whether functioning alcoholic Paul Cox lived or died. O'Donnell instigated the violence by accusing him of bullying his aunt.
Paul Cox tried to stand up to O'Donnell, but he was in frail health and undoubtedly in drink, said the judge. He punched him so hard, he damaged his own hand - the injury angering him even more.
Over the next two hours, he subjected defenceless and semi-conscious Paul Cox to a relentless and humiliating attack as he lay on the floor. Some of what he said to him revealed his own motivation, saying: "Say sorry to my ******* dead mum or I will ******* kill you bro".
"Throughout the attack, you filmed yourself and him as he lay bloodied, beaten and distressed on the floor," said Judge Sampson. "Words do not do justice to the images during that scene".
When police arrived, Paul Cox's words were to "blag" his way out of the situation, and he was intent immediately on saving his own skin. Turning police away initially to the wrong address and preventing Paul Cox from getting vital and immediate medical care.
Detective Inspector Melanie Crutchley, who led the investigation, said: "This was a truly horrifying attack, almost defying belief in its brutality and utterly senseless nature".
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