THE Evening Press today names five youths branded "monsters" by a judge for taking pleasure in tormenting a dying man - and capturing it all on video.

"How low can members of the human race sink?" asked district judge Bruce Morgan, as he sentenced all five to periods of detention for their "disgraceful" treatment of former baker Roger Winfield. The judge said: "It's clear from the pictures he was in pain and he was suffering. They must have seen he was in great distress."

York Youth Court was told how the five - Michael Woolley, 17, and 16-year-olds Jamie Hargreaves, Kurt Jordan, Ryan Meaney, all from Sherburn-in-Elmet, and 16-year-old Joe Brook, from a nearby village - subjected Mr Winfield to a catalogue of abuse as he lay helpless on the ground.

In a sick twist the whole ordeal was filmed by the youths themselves on a camcorder - a film which was shown to a shocked court yesterday.

The youths were even seen on film to blow flames from a campfire at Mr Winfield's prone body.

Alan Mitcheson, prosecuting, said as Mr Winfield lay drunk the teenagers subjected him to a series of horrific torments, including:

Nudging him closer to a campfire so he was centimetres from the flames

Putting a can of beer on the fire in the hopes that it might explode

Giving Mr Winfield a laxative and laughing as he defecated

Decorating his face with cracker biscuits and putting a cigarette in his mouth

Drawing on his face

Tying his shoelaces together

The appalling incidents were videoed by Woolley using a friend's camcorder. The gang sat with heads bowed as 30 minutes of the footage was shown in court.

In a last chilling scene, Mr Winfield was shown lying on the ground the following day. He later crawled into a tent, where two children found him.

The Evening Press won a court application to name the teenagers after we argued it would be in the public interest.

But we were not allowed to publish photographs of the youngsters after a plea from one of their solicitors that it would cause too much distress to their families. Neither did the judge allow us to print details of their schools or full addresses.

Mr Winfield was found lying in a tent in a field at White Rose Football Club, in Sherburn-in-Elmet, on April 15 last year.

Four days later, he died in Leeds General Infirmary as a result of a brain injury.

The court heard how Mr Winfield had been out drinking with a group of youngsters in the village's Eversley Park Centre the day before he was found. He had even bought them cans of alcohol. Part of the group decided to camp out for the night in the field.

On his way to the field, it is believed Mr Winfield fell and hit his head - which is thought to have caused the injury that later killed him.

Solicitors for the youths stressed that there was no suggestion they had caused Mr Winfield's death, and that they were not aware that he had been injured when the acts took place.

They said the youngsters, who had been drunk and had smoked cannabis, were genuinely sorry for what they had done.

One youth, Jordan, was the only one to have left the group during the evening.

Three of them, Brook, Meaney and Woolley, admitted intending to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Jordan and Hargreaves had denied the charge, but were convicted after a trial.

Hargreaves, Woolley and Brook were each given an eight-month detention and training order, Meaney was given 12 months, and Jordan four months.

Video footage of victim's agony

Reporter Lucy Stephens watched horrified as the video film showing the humiliation inflicted on Roger Winfield was played to York Youth Court.

The video footage shows Roger Winfield lying on the ground inches from a campfire.

Clearly audible are sounds of constant laughter and taunts directed at the dying man.

At one point, he lies with biscuits laid all over his face, as a boy places a cigarette in his mouth.

At another, a hand produces a felt pen and starts writing on his forehead.

The hushed court watches as events become even more distressing.

One boy shouts: "Can you feel that, Rog?", as it appears flames are being blown at his prone form. The camera moves down his body and his tied together feet are clearly visible.

The film then becomes almost unbearable to watch as Mr Winfield struggles to contain himself as the laxative one of the youths had given him earlier begins to take effect. His discomfort is audible against a backdrop of the youths' excited laughter.

At one point, Mr Winfield appears to wake briefly and pleads with the boys to "give him a break".

But no one does.

Updated: 10:06 Thursday, January 20, 2005