A SOUTHAMPTON man was left for dead after being viciously beaten and robbed on waste ground.

Delbara Chahal was left in agony for eight hours during the night until a passer-by on his way to work spotted his battered body lying at the bottom of an embankment.

His head had ballooned. He had suffered fractured ribs, a broken nose, multiple bruising and cuts.

One of his brutal attackers was a family friend aged just 15 but with an appalling criminal record.

The Daily Echo won the right to name him by persuading Judge David Griffiths to remove a reporting restriction, saying it was in the public interest.

The thug is Carl Stacey Davies, of Kent Street, Northam, Southampton, who admitted robbery and causing grievous bodily harm. He was sent to a young offenders' institution for four years.

But his accomplice remains at large and Davies has refused to say who he is.

Mr Chahal's ordeal began after he telephoned the teenager's mother, saying he wanted to see her because he was feeling miserable.

But Davies instead answered the door and the pair went down St Mary's Road looking for drink.

Richard Onslow, prosecuting at the city crown court, said the victim could remember little of what had happened but knew another man had also been present in the attack in which he was kicked and punched to the head and body.

He was stripped of everything of value with his clothes left strewn around the area.

At one point Davies removed one of his shoes in the hope he had hidden money there. He demanded: "Where's your money?"

The victim's blood was later found on Davies's shoes.

Davies told police the other man had caused the injuries and he had only got £5.

Judge Griffiths said he had to sentence Davies on what he had maintained about his role but slammed him for being "callous".

He said it was unclear how the violence had started but the motive was undoubtedly robbery and Mr Chahal had suffered very serious injuries.

"He was abandoned and left there for eight hours until a passer-by found him in this shocking state," the judge said.

David Jenkins, defending, said what happened to Mr Chahal was inexcusable but claimed it was the other man who had suggested the robbery, not Davies.

"Yes, there was blood on his shoes but he had got close to Mr Chahal.

"His life was unregulated. He was 14 at the time and he didn't have a strong hand directing him. He was left to his own will. He asks me to say he is sorry. He knew the victim as a family friend and he realises he should not have got involved in this attack.''

Davies has previous convictions for theft, shoplifting, using threatening words or behaviour and taking a vehicle without consent.