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Most read Comments
Life sentence for 'savage' attack

A groom who turned his best man into a human fireball then fled to Oxford has been jailed for life.

Wayne Barnes repeatedly battered John Maynard over the head after breaking into his flat.

Then, as the father-of-two lay helpless, he set fire to him in a bid to kill him.

The brutal attack came just a month after Mr Maynard had paid for Barnes's wedding and given him furniture for the flat he shared with his new wife Melissa.

Judge David Rennie described what Barnes did as an "act of unspeakable savagery" and ruthless betrayal.

The judge said that Barnes should not be considered for parole for at least 15 years.

After leaving Mr Maynard for dead, Barnes stole the removal firm boss's safe containing £30,000 and fled in the victim's car to Oxford, where he used the victim's store card and documents to assume his identity, buy a mobile phone and call prostitutes.

Mr Maynard, 37, suffered horrific injuries in the attack, and lay close to death for several hours before he was found by police in his blood-soaked flat in Littlehampton, Sussex.

He suffered 40 per cent burns and both his legs had to be amputated below the knee. He also lost the fingers on his left hand and has been left with permanent brain damage after his skull was fractured in eight places.

Barnes, of Shelby Road, Durrington, Worthing, was found guilty of attempted murder at Hove Crown Court, last Tuesday.

Judge David Rennie told Barnes: "In an act of unspeakable savagery and ruthless betrayal, you decided to kill the man who had been a close friend to you.

"He had given you money when you needed it, gave you employment, paid for your wedding and agreed to be your best man."

6:58pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Print   Email this   Comment
Posted by: Delancey, Omaha, NE USA on 7:45pm Wed 23 Jul 08
I am stunned that this man is even being considered for parole!! Wayne Barnes' attack on Mr. Maynard is unspeakably savage and he didn't seem to have a reason for the attack. He should be jailed for life, no parole. Poor Mr. Maynard will be living with the effects of this attack for the rest of his life with "no parole".
Posted by: Vic, South Hinksey on 8:10pm Wed 23 Jul 08
I totally agree with Delancey. Should be jailed for at least 30 years! What a horrible and sick person Barnes' is. PLEASE throw away the key!
Posted by: John, oxford on 8:16am Thu 24 Jul 08
Vic wrote:
I totally agree with Delancey. Should be jailed for at least 30 years! What a horrible and sick person Barnes' is. PLEASE throw away the key!
Its a shame that the guardian reading liberals in this country do not want to bring back the rope - let the Bast**d swing
Posted by: anthony turner, torquay on 8:27am Thu 24 Jul 08
if I was the judge he will never b released and left in cell with
bread & water no tv just 4 walls let him rott.
Posted by: Alan Page, Oxford on 9:49am Thu 24 Jul 08
Why do we keep getting Americans on here giving their opinions? Shouldn't they concern themselves with their own problems - such as their ongoing murder of Iraqi civilians?
See http://www.iraqbodyc
ount.org/
Posted by: Not Alan Page, Not in Oxford on 10:08am Thu 24 Jul 08
Alan Page wrote:
Why do we keep getting Americans on here giving their opinions? Shouldn't they concern themselves with their own problems - such as their ongoing murder of Iraqi civilians?
See http://www.iraqbodyc
ount.org/
Why do we keep getting Alan Page on here giving us his opinion? Shouldn't he be concerned with problems in his own town of Guildford - and not trying to suppress free speech of anyone who wants to comment?
Alan, try http://www.getsurrey
.co.uk/ instead


Posted by: Roy, Oxford on 10:23am Thu 24 Jul 08
Haha - nice!
Posted by: Alan Page, Guildford on 10:35am Thu 24 Jul 08
Not Alan Page wrote:
Alan Page wrote: Why do we keep getting Americans on here giving their opinions? Shouldn't they concern themselves with their own problems - such as their ongoing murder of Iraqi civilians? See http://www.iraqbodyc ount.org/
Why do we keep getting Alan Page on here giving us his opinion? Shouldn't he be concerned with problems in his own town of Guildford - and not trying to suppress free speech of anyone who wants to comment? Alan, try http://www.getsurrey .co.uk/ instead
Why do we get so many people pretending to be Alan Page on here?
Is he really that important?
Posted by: Alan Page, Guildford on 10:45am Thu 24 Jul 08
Not Alan Page wrote:
Alan Page wrote: Why do we keep getting Americans on here giving their opinions? Shouldn't they concern themselves with their own problems - such as their ongoing murder of Iraqi civilians? See http://www.iraqbodyc ount.org/
Why do we keep getting Alan Page on here giving us his opinion? Shouldn't he be concerned with problems in his own town of Guildford - and not trying to suppress free speech of anyone who wants to comment? Alan, try http://www.getsurrey .co.uk/ instead
Actually, as you will see from the letters page, the citizens of Surrey are actually quite advanced in their thinking.

They are certainly not unreconstructed racist neanderthals.

Comments from me would be unnessecary. It is also considerably safer than Oxford as we don't take crap from businessmen promoting drugs etc.

The kind of mentality that you guys espouse on here was big in Surrey during the 80's (high cocaine consumption and racism going hand in hand)evangelical explosion but we saw it off and no doubt will see it off elsewhere too.

Still you can count yourself fortunate. I believed Oxford was 50 years behind the rest of the world when I lived there. It now seems to be only 20.

Evolution is a wonderful thing isn't it?
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