Moment half-brother thugs beat university student and left him for dead in a ditch because he didn't have any cigarettes to give them

• Nicholas Lindsay, 21, and 26-year old Michael Brownlie, both of Longsight, Manchester, approached Daniel Whiteley, 19, and asked him for a cigarette
• But when he told them he had none they accused him of being 'disrespectful', and dragged him into an inner city park and robbed him
• They then beat him and left him in a drain where he was found unconscious by a passing cyclist
• Lindsay’s girlfriend Katie Mongan, 18, instigated the violence by punching Daniel first and was jailed for seven years
• Despite his injuries, Mr Whiteley has made a full recovery and returned to Manchester University to continue his English studies

A pair of half brothers who left a university student for dead in a ditch after robbing him because he didn't have any cigarettes were today jailed for 18 years each.
Nicholas Lindsay, 21, and Michael Brownlie, 26, were with Lindsay's girlfriend Katie Mongan, 18, when they approached Daniel Whiteley, 19, in a takeaway and asked him for a cigarette as he walked home from a night out in Manchester.
But when he told them he had none the trio, all of Longsight, Manchester, accused him of being 'disrespectful', dragged him into an inner city park, robbed his cash card, watch and mobile phone and beat him unconscious.

Callous: Nicholas Lindsay, 21, left, and 26-year old Michael Brownlie, right, approached Daniel Whiteley, 19, and asked him for a cigarette outside a takeaway as he walked home from a night out with friends

They kicked, punched and stamped on him as he lay on the floor begging: 'Please don’t hurt me.'
They then dumped him unconscious in a culvert and left him for dead whilst two of the attackers went off to McDonald's for a slap-up breakfast.
Daniel was spotted three hours later by a passing cyclist lying in a daze in water 20 feet down a ravine at Platt Fields in Fallowfield, Manchester.

He was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital with multiple head injuries and a potentially fatal bleed on the brain, as well as injuries to his abdomen and arms and severe hypothermia.

Victim: Daniel Whiteley, pictured left at his May Ball and right on a night out, was a first-year student at the University of Manchester studying English and is originally from Barnsley, Yorkshire

Daniel - a first-year student studying English at the University of Manchester - was left fighting for life in an intensive care unit but has since made a miraculous recovery and later returned to college and completed his exams.
Today, the brothers were each starting 18 years in jail after both admitted attempted murder and robbery.
Mongan, who instigated the violence by punching Daniel first, was jailed for seven years after she admitted robbery and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The accomplice: Lindsay's girlfriend Katie Mongan, 18, also of Longsight who instigated the violence by punching Daniel first was jailed for seven years after she admitted robbery and causing grievous bodily harm with intent

Manchester Crown Court was told the attack occurred last February after Daniel - from Barnsley, South Yorks, and described as a 'soft, sweet and gentle' person - had been out with friends at a student event at a bar in Manchester city centre.
He got the bus back to the student district of Owens Park and ended up at the Krunchy Fried Chicken takeaway where the gang were eating fast food.
Brownlie had been recently released from jail and had previously served a four month prison stretch for affray after he hurled stones at buses, a stretch limousine, taxis and cars as they drove past them.
Daniel was eating alone when he was approached by the gang and asked for a cigarette and when he replied that he had none, a confrontation ensued.
Mongan shouted at Daniel he was being disrespectful to which the victim responded: 'I’m sorry, I’m sorry, next time if I have any cigarettes I will give him one.'
The owner of the take-away ushered out the gang and purposely asked Daniel to stay behind fearing the gang were picking a fight.
The teenager eventually left the shop when the yobs moved on but he bumped into them again just minutes later further down the road. The gang began hurling abuse at Daniel saying: 'You disrespected us' then demanded he hand them a watch he received from his father for his 16th birthday.
Daniel was so frightened he agreed to hand it over but he was then forced further down the road and shoved into Platt Field park where the gang took his mobile phone, cash card and PIN number.
Afterwards he was subjected to a savage kicking as he lay curled up in a ball. As he lost consciousness the gang picked him and threw him the water face down and left him to drown.

Caught: The gang were caught after police studied CCTV. Lindsay and Mongan both blamed each other during police interview whilst Brownlie gave no comment to every question

The gang later used Daniel’s cash card to buy drink from an a 24 hour store and then two spent some of the money on sausage and egg McMuffin breakfasts.
Daniel was found at 5.30am when the cyclist who was riding past the scene heard a groaning sound and spotted him lying on his side in the water which was about two inches deep.
The witness tried to pull the teenager clear but was unable to reach him and dialled 999 from a nearby telephone box. Officers had to spend up two days carrying out inquiries to identify ginger-haired Daniel because he had no identification with him.
His fingerprints were sent off for analysis and pictures of his smart blue checked shirt, Topman burgundy corduroy trousers and his smart brown leather shoes were released as part of a public appeal for help.

The scene: Police scour Platt Fields Park, Manchester, where the attack took place

Left lunch: Pictured is a takeaway box left by the gang at the park

Eventually after a painstaking fingertip search of the brick culvert where he was discovered, forensics teams found a set of keys which they matched to the victim.
The gang were caught after police studied CCTV. Lindsay and Mongan both blamed each other during police interview whilst Brownlie gave no comment to every question.
Police believe without the intervention of the cyclist Daniel would have died.
He was due to give evidence from behind a screen so he didn’t have to make eye contact with his attackers from the witness box but was spared the ordeal of reliving the assault after the gang pleaded guilty.
Describing Daniel’s ordeal, Michael Lavery prosecuting said: 'The thrill of moving away from home, becoming independent for the first time has been tainted by this attack. He fears the memory of those events may never leave him.

In a statement the Daniel's father Mick Whiteley said: 'Daniel is a harmless, well educated, articulate and kind young man and has been able to return to his studies'

'While he was in intensive care, his family didn’t know whether he would live or die.'
In a statement the victim’s father Mick Whiteley said: 'Daniel is a harmless, well educated, articulate and kind young man and has been able to return to his studies.
'Given his strength of character and determination we have no doubts he will fulfill his potential and go on to have a happy and successful life in whatever field he chooses to work in.
'The future prospects for his attackers are obviously less certain and less positive as they begin the lengthy custodial sentences which they have been given, and which they richly deserved given the vicious, senseless and sustained attack on our son.
'We are eternally grateful for the fact that not only did Daniel survive his ordeal, but that the police force were able to find the culprits quickly and remove them from the streets, thereby ensuring they were unable to inflict such pain and suffering on other decent members of society.'
Det Insp Terry Crompton from Greater Manchester Police: 'I can’t begin to imagine how Daniel must have felt on that night, as these three callous individuals dragged him to a secluded area of the park, subjected him to this horrific assault, robbed him and then threw him down a culvert with no second thought as to what would happen to him.
'If Daniel hadn’t been found early that morning, it is highly unlikely he would have survived this cowardly, vicious and unnecessary attack.'