Details of the sickening attack that destroyed the life of retired roofer Keith Alder make shocking and disturbing reading.

This was a man who had raised a family, worked hard all his life, who suddenly saw it all end in a few brutal minutes with an unprovoked attack by a gang of six men. Although he survived, his injuries were so severe that his life has been ripped apart. His personality has changed, a large part of his bowel has been removed, and both his legs have now been amputated.

All because a gang of vicious cowards decided to take out their anger on him, even though he was simply walking home from a charity event he had been to and had no interaction at all with them prior to being knocked to the ground by a baseball bat and then mercilessly kicked.

Yesterday, the ring leader of the gang Bartolome Makula was jailed for 15 years. As Mr Alder’s brother Robert says, that would be an appropriate sentence if he was to serve it all. He is unlikely to, but hopefully its severity may send out a message that this sort of behaviour won’t be tolerated.

The suffering for the family is further compounded by the fact that only one person has been caught and dealt with. So five people who robbed Keith Alder of the happy retirement he had worked so hard for are still walking the streets, free to do what they want.

Someone must know who they are. A family member or a friend. And if they have any shred of decency, they will look at what these animals did to Mr Alder and get in touch with the police.

Makula’s barrister says the attack was carried out in a moment of ‘collective madness and anger’. But this was a gang of men, like too many on our streets, intent on trouble, armed with a baseball bat.

Tragically, it is an innocent victim and his family who have been left to deal with the consequences. The only way to try to protect others is to send a clear message that anyone going out seeking trouble in this way will face similarly harsh sentences.