AN EXPLOSION of mindless violence on an Ammanford street and a young man with his whole life in front of him is condemned, in the words of a Crown Court judge, to "a living death".

None of us can comprehend what, if anything, prompted this attack or the scale of the misery it has heaped upon Paul Pugh's family who must face up to the fact he may, as a result of his injuries, never be able to live an independent life.

Fist fights are nothing new of course, but if ever a case served as a chilling reminder of the horrific consequences of 'putting the boot in' on someone who is lying defenceless on the ground, this was it.

What happened that night has inevitably aroused strong emotions , but now is a time for calm and sober reaction - a time for cool heads, even if some will invariably take the view that these sentences did not fit the crime.

The lasting memory of last week's hearing at Swansea was not the horrific injuries the victim suffered or the random nature of the attack, but the quiet dignity displayed by Paul Pugh's parents.

They are already looking forward, not back and all their focus is on their son's long-term recovery.

In Nesta Pugh's own words: "We wouldn't want another family to go through what we are going through."