Mother begged for son's recovery

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The family of a disabled man kicked and punched to death for a £5 bet have told how they begged for him to wake up as he lay in an intensive care bed.

Brent Martin, 23, was chased across two housing estates in Sunderland by three people who he thought were his friends.

The "gentle giant", who had learning difficulties, suffered a series of brutal attacks before being stripped of his trousers and left for dead.

A man aged 21 and two teenagers aged 16 and 17 face sentencing for his murder.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Martin died from a massive head injury and had suffered at least 18 separate blows to the head and neck during the vicious onslaught last August.

His mother Brenda and twin sister Danielle said the memories of the last few hours with him in hospital will stay with them forever.

I was laying beside him and I could still hear his heart and then it just stopped Brenda Martin

Miss Martin said: "I can't understand why someone would want to do this to him, especially when he was pleading for his life and telling them that he loved them.

"He was saying sorry to them and apologising to them for something he hadn't done.

"They prolonged it all night. I can't imagine how he must have been feeling.

"I just sat and held his hand and told him I loved him and that he could come and live with us.

"I asked him, begged him to wake up."

William Hughes admitted murdering Mr Martin

Mr Martin's mother said: "It was very hard to see and very hard to accept.

"I was lying beside him and I could still hear his heart and then it just stopped.

"I think they did it for kicks. They put a lamb to the slaughter and they've broken my heart."

William Hughes, 21, from Sunderland and a youth, aged 16, admitted murder. The 17-year-old was convicted of murder at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this week.

All three have been warned they face a mandatory life sentence.

Sentencing will take place at a later date.

The mother of the 16-year-old has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by washing her son's bloodstained clothes.

No date has yet been set for her trial.