The widow of Garry Newlove, a father of three who was kicked to death by a gang of drunk youths, last night demanded the Government get to grips with out-of-control youngsters.

Three teenagers were found guilty yesterday of murdering Mr Newlove, a 47-year-old sales manager, who was punched and kicked to the ground when he left his home, barefoot and in pyjama bottoms, to see who had vandalised his wife’s car.

Helen Newlove, 44, said she was “absolutely disgusted” to learn that the leader of the gang that attacked her husband had been released on bail just hours before. “We knew he had previous convictions but it was a shock to myself and to my family to hear he had been released that day,” she said.

“I’m absolutely disgusted. These magistrates, it’s unbelievable. They let him out and they walk the streets. He’s not taken a blind bit of notice of the conditions of bail. He’s gone out, got drunk and taken drugs and my husband has been left dead.”

She said in a statement later: “Until this Government puts into place an effective deterrent, the youth of today know too well that they can get away with their actions. Why not put them in the Army for a certain length of time? If they have plenty of aggression, do it through boot camp.”

Mr Newlove had tried to mount a community campaign against the jeering, drunken youths who congregated in an underpass near his house in the Fearnhead district of Warrington, Cheshire. His death came to symbolise the powerlessness of the lawabiding householder in the face of teenage gangs. It also touched the hearts of many when his family released a letter to him from his daughter, Amy, then 12, as he lay dying in hospital. She told him: “You mean the world to me and I would not change you for the world.”

Her older sister, Zoe, had described how the gang, laughing and swearing, kicked his head as if it were a football.

Mr Newlove suffered severe head injuries and died at Warrington Hospital two days later.

The jury at Chester Crown Court deliberated for ten days before convicting three teenagers, Adam Swellings, 19, from Crewe, and Stephen Sorton, 17, and Jordan Cunliffe, 16, both of Warrington, of murder. They will be sentenced at a date to be set later.

The jury was not told that Swellings, had been released from custody on bail on August 10, only hours before Mr Newlove was kicked to death, and that among his bail conditions was that he should stay out of Warrington.

Mrs Newlove, who described the effects of losing her husband in a 21-page impact statement, told the court how the family had moved with their daughters, Amy, now 13, Danielle, 15 and Zoe, 18, to Fearnhead in June 2004 to be nearer her ailing parents. Their lives were immediately blighted by teenagers who gathered near their home, drinking, vandalising property and cars and urinating against residents’ fences.

Last August, Mr Newlove was relaxing at home after winning a new sales contract. At 10.40pm there came the sound of breaking glass. Mr Newlove went out and was surrounded by a jeering gang. With his family watching, he was knocked to the ground. Describing what Zoe witnessed, Michael Chambers, QC, for the prosecution, said: “All the group were laughing and she saw her father take hold of one of the lad’s arms and say, ‘Was it you?’.

“The lad then swung round his right arm with a clenched fist and punched her father in the side of his face. She will say that she saw all the lads, about six of them, kicking her father while he was on the floor.

“They were kicking her father as hard as they could, all over his body, especially on his head. It was like they were kicking a football.

“Her father was curled up and the group of lads were all laughing as they were kicking him. She saw two girls standing around holding a plastic bag containing cans of beer.”

Garry Shewan, Cheshire police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said: “We have to accept that this wicked behaviour which resulted in the death of Mr Newlove was beyond what we would regard as usual antisocial behaviour.

“Unless we challenge the drinking culture of today, this is a tragedy that can happen again and again. We have got to send a strong message that the availability of cheap, strong alcohol is not acceptable. Society is beginning to see the events of today, and the murder of Mr Newlove, as a tipping point where we have all got to take action against antisocial behaviour.”

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