Thug, 18, is jailed for eight years after leaving a 16-year-old disabled in a sickening baseball bat

A teenage thug who left a 16-year-old disabled for life after smashing his skull with a homemade club has been jailed for eight years.

John Callis-Woolsey, 18, from Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Derbyshire, bludgeoned his victim with a baseball bat, which was emblazoned with the word ‘Lucille’ and had 24 sharp nails protruding from it.    

After launching the brutal assault inspired by American horror series The Walking Dead, the teenager then celebrated by doing the ‘Floss’ dance from the popular computer game Fortnite.

John Callis-Woolse (pictured), 18, of Nelson Close, Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Derbyshire, bludgeoned his victim with a baseball bat

His victim, named only as Oscar, suffered a major bleed on the brain and was hospitalised for nine months.  

During his time in intensive care it was thought he might not survive, such were the extent of his injuries.

He now requires full time care due to a lifelong brain injury which has left him being only able to walk with the aid of a frame.

The victim’s mother is now warning of the impact violent games and TV programmes on youngsters after Callis-Woolsey was jailed for eight years on Thursday 20.

The victim, named only as Oscar, suffered a major bleed on the brain and was hospitalised for nine months. Pictured: Scarring after surgery

The victim, named only as Oscar, suffered a major bleed on the brain and was hospitalised for nine months. Pictured: Scarring after surgery 

Oscar’s mother, who has had to give up her job to care for her son full-time, said: ‘This was a mindless and unprovoked act of extreme violence. I was shocked when I saw the hideous looking weapon that was used. 

‘This was a mindless and unprovoked act of extreme violence. I was shocked when I saw the hideous looking weapon that was used.

‘I would like the producers and creators of such programmes to know the influence the content has on immature minds.

‘The assault has changed our lives forever, my son is serving a life sentence and doctors have advised that he will remain disabled for the rest of his life.’ 

Detective Constable Derek Ellis said after the case: ‘This was an act of extreme violence which was planned, orchestrated and carried out by a teenager for a somewhat trivial matter.

‘His actions that night have dramatically altered the course of two young and bright promising lives, one of which was his own.

‘The victim and his immediate family have had to come to terms with the consequences of that night.

‘Their fight, spirit and support for each other has been nothing short of admirable’ 

Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said Oscar had been to Nando’s in Derby with a friend on the night he was attacked.

She said his friend drove him back to Wirksworth where he dropped him off for an arranged meeting with Callis-Woolsey and his friend Kyle Cullen.

It was there, in Millennium Gardens, off Chapel Lane, where the bat was used to strike Oscar over the head. 

Miss Pritchard said: ‘Oscar’s friend saw Oscar holding his head.

The baseball bat which was emblazoned with the word 'Lucille' and had 24 sharp nails protruding from it

The baseball bat which was emblazoned with the word ‘Lucille’ and had 24 sharp nails protruding from it

‘He said he had been hit over the head three times with the bat.

‘As they drove down the road the friend saw Callis-Woolsey and Cullen jigging around, doing the flossing dance from the Fortnite computer game, which is done when a player defeats someone else.’

Miss Pritchard said Oscar’s mother called an ambulance when he arrived home with blood over his face and head.

The air ambulance also attended and took Oscar to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where a CT scan revealed he had a severe bleed to the brain.

Miss Pritchard said: ‘It was a severe life-threatening injury, a fracture had displaced his skull.

‘Oscar has permanent brain damage. Three months after the assault he was tetraplegic and dependant on full nursing care.’

Miss Pritchard said Callis-Woolsey was arrested at 5.30am the next morning and answered ‘no comment’ to the questions he was asked.

She said police later found evidence he had Googled terms such as ‘prison sentence for GBH with intent’ and ‘what sentence for putting someone in a coma’.

Analysis of the baseball bat found Oscar’s DNA on a bent metal nail sticking out of it which Callis-Woolsey had hammered into it.

Miss Pritchard said: ‘It had 24 nails hammered into it and also on it was written ‘Lucille’ which is a reference to the TV show The Walking Dead.

‘In the show the bat called Lucille has barbed wire wrapped around it and there is a suggestion he was trying to emulate this on his own bat.’ 

The character Negan in The Walking Dead, played by actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, uses a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire to kill zombies.

In a victim impact statement his mother said: ‘Oscar was an amazing, gifted and talented sportsman.

‘He is a 17-year-old boy who has had his future taken away from him. He will remain disabled all of his life.’ 

Kyle Cullan (pictured), of Snowfield View, Wirksworth, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to a 12-month detention and training order

Kyle Cullan (pictured), of Snowfield View, Wirksworth, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to a 12-month detention and training order

Callis-Woolsey pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Stuart Lody, mitigating, said: ‘In a letter he has sent to you, your honour, he says ‘I am sorry for all the pain I have caused and I wish I could turn back the clock’.’

A second teenager was also jailed in connection with the attack.

Kyle Cullan, of Snowfield View, Wirksworth, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to a 12-month detention and training order.

Kevin Tomlinson, mitigating on Cullan’s behalf, said: ‘He regrets getting involved, it was a stupid decision and if he could turn back time he would do.’  

Sending Callis-Woolsey to a young offender’s institution, Judge Nirmal Shant told him: ‘What you prepared for that incident was, in effect, an adapted weapon

‘You put 24 nails into that bat and that must have taken some time to do.

‘You did that in order to prepare yourself for that encounter and you wrote the word Lucille on it emulating some video game or whatever.

‘Thereafter, as he left (the scene), you did a victory dance celebrating what happened.

‘Oscar has been left with such sever brain injuries that he will never recover and never lead the life of a young man.’  

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