Five boys who stoned a pensioner to death as he played cricket with his son were yesterday each sentenced to two years.

The boys, aged 12 to 14 and said to have come from good families, were described by an Old Bailey judge as cowardly and disgraceful.

The youngsters had been part of a gang that surrounded Ernest Norton, 67, as he played cricked with his son James, 17, in February last year at Erith leisure centre in Kent.

The gang shouted abuse and spat, then hurled sticks and stones at Mr Norton. Two of the stones, one the size of a brick, hit Mr Norton on the temple and fractured his cheekbone. As he collapsed with a heart attack they ran away.

The boys, the youngest of whom was aged only 10 at the time, were convicted in August of manslaughter and violent disorder.

During the trial Mr Norton’s son had told the court how the gang attacked without provocation and shouted at Mr Norton: “Go back to the old people’s home.”

Sending them to youth detention yesterday, Judge Warwick McKinnon said: “This was a vicious, entirely unprovoked and sustained group attack involving a barrage of missiles.”

Before the attack the boys had been running amok at the leisure centre, smashing windows and looking for a fight with a rival gang.

“You had each hyped yourselves up by your earlier rowdy mischief and misbehaviour before you attacked the most unfortunate Ernest Norton – he was entirely innocent,” Judge McKinnon said.

“First you abused him and his son, then spat at him and then launched a barrage of missiles at him.”

The boys were “cowardly” for fleeing when a large stone hit Mr Norton, the judge said.

“He suffered a heart attack and died – all this before the eyes of his son, who had to watch his father die in these dreadful circumstances,” Judge McKinnon said.

“The conduct of all of you as a group was utterly disgraceful and criminally irresponsible.”

Mr Norton’s, wife, Linda, had come running from the gym to cradle her husband as he lay dying. She was at court with her two children and granddaughter.

In a victim impact statement, she said that she had known her husband for almost 40 years. They had married in 1975.

“In 2006 life was flowing along lovely, everything was normal and you think it will never change,” she said. “Then bang, your life is turned upside down and you have to run on automatic.

“Ernie’s death has affected our lives in so many ways, we are still trying to be normal and enjoy ourselves again but I don’t think I ever will.”

She said: “When I see other couples out, especially older couples, I think to myself, ‘They are together, why aren’t we?’

“I miss Ernie just not being there, we did most things together. He was always there for me in every way imaginable. He was a kind-hearted man who looked after his family and friends.”

She said of her son: “He lost his role model at such an important time of his life.

“To put things simply, the house is just empty without Ernie and life will never be the same again.”

The court was told that the youngest of the attackers had thrown five of the stones. The 10-year-old boy was described as coming from a broken family and just following the others, one of whom was his elder brother. But their mother was described as being a competent parent.

Another boy was described as having no family problems, and one was said to have a low IQ but to come from a supportive family.

And the fifth, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, came from “a close knit and supportive family” that had shown him right from wrong.

The boys hugged their parents and some were crying as they were taken away.

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