SWANSEA: FAMILY'S ANGER AT YOBS' TREATMENT

FAMILY'S ANGER AT YOBS' TREATMENT

A Swansea widow driven from her home by a vicious teenage attack has died having never returned to the home she loved.The attack, by two teenage girls, on Joyce Griffiths put the widow in intensive care for six days and left her too traumatised to return to her home.

Her angry family have now hit out at the sentence handed out to the pair by the courts.

Her sister, Anne Pearce, of Berw Road, Mayhill, said: "It killed Joyce. She was never the same again.

"She had a terrible death."

The two drunken girls who kicked, pushed and pulled Joyce Griffiths's hair in an hour-long ordeal, are currently serving sentences of detention and training.

Judge Gerald Price QC described the attack on Mrs Griffiths as "wicked and vicious".

Within a month of the two girls, aged 15 and 16, being sentenced to, 14 months and 18 months, Mrs Griffiths had died of cancer.

Mrs Pearce said: "She was annoyed that the girls did not have more of a sentence than they did.

"They knew what they were doing. They attacked somebody in Sketty. We blame them for Joyce's death."

Mrs Griffiths spent six days in intensive care after the attack.

The girls admitted causing actual bodily harm and an offence of attempted robbery.

The older girl also admitted theft.

For legal reasons neither of them can be identified.

Mrs Pearce said the girls had called at Joyce's house asking to use the telephone. The girls then beat the widow and pulled her hair during the ordeal. She only escaped when a neighbour heard her screams.

Mrs Pearce said: "They dragged her by the hair. All her face was cut and they cut her leg.

"She was kicked in the stomach.

"We are very bitter. It is terrible what they did to her. She didn't deserve that. She would help anybody out.

"She had a heart of gold. We believe that If they hadn't attacked her she would still be alive."

Mrs Pearce added: "When they kicked her, she went downhill after that. She was a bag of nerves then."

Mrs Griffiths lived at Carig Crescent, Mayhill, and knew the two girls.

Her niece, Debbie, said: "She was so upset.

"She moved out. Her stomach would churn when I would take her to functions if she passed there.

"She could never come up here. She went hysterical.

"She should have had compensation off those girls for what they did to her. We could put a stone up for Joyce and her husband, Walter, who was 60."

A funeral service for Mrs Griffiths was held yesterday at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Townhill.

Last month Swansea Crown Court heard that the 15-year-old has previous convictions for criminal damage and possessing a knife in public, while the 16-year-old has convictions for assaulting police, obstructing police, two offences of common assault, two of criminal damage, theft, drunkeness and public order offences.

Relative Teresa Dempster said: "They are in a Butlins Camp. They are not being punished properly. They can watch DVDs and all that luxury and where's Joyce?

"We will never see her again. I would like to remember her the way she was, walking around with a dog."

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