ACCORDING to Oscar Wilde, life imitates art far more than art imitates life and certainly the sustained beating of Adam Blythe is the sort of twisted nightmare we hoped only existed in TV’s Nordic Noir.

Adam, described as “always the quiet one” by his mum Jane, was subjected to a terrifying assault which involved weapons such as a drill, golf club and spirit level. He was left with injuries to 28 parts of his body including fractures to his skull, cheek, eye socket and hand.

Not surprisingly there has been an outrage and when you read the account it can tempt us to doubt human nature. Indeed after the attack Jane told us: “You just can’t believe how evil people can be.”

We understand why she feels this way, but fortunately, monsters such as Kelly Ann Raisbeck, her boyfriend Wayne Deluen and his brother Gavin, who made the sadistic attack on Adam, are few and far between, despite their prevalence on TV screens.

As is often the case with incidents such as this, the milk of human kindness begins to flow and today we can report how well-wishers are rallying round by supporting an appeal to help Adam get back on his feet.

Details of the attack prompted donors, with many more coming forward since his assailant’s case, which ended this week. And as we go to press, the total has already reached in excess of £2,500.

Donors have rightly spoken online of their disgust, but, thankfully, cruelty such as Adam experienced is rare and, as his mum says, the reaction of ordinary people restores our faith in human beings.

Hopefully the money raised will now go some way to restoring Adam’s way of life.