AN uncle and nephew jailed for a brutal attack on a man in Blackburn have had their sentences significantly extended following his death.

Derek Wildeman, 41, was seriously assaulted at his home in Coleridge Street in the town on February 24, 2013.

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He was left in a vegetative state for six months following the incident and in October that year two men were jailed in connection with his assault.

Steven Quigley, 31, of Rothesay Road, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to wounding with intent. He was told he must serve a minimum of five years and 138 days.

His uncle Gary Quigley, 43, of Hancock Street, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Mr Wildeman died at Royal Preston Hospital in February last year and had been undergoing rehabilitation in Burnley but returned to hospital after his condition deteriorated.

Following discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service after Mr Wildeman’s death, the case was referred to the Attorney General’s Office which gave consent for Steven Quigley to be charged with murder and for Gary Quigley to be prosecuted for manslaughter.

Yesterday at Preston Crown Court Steven Quigley pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life to serve a minimum term of 15 years and Gary Quigley admitted manslaughter and was jailed for four years.

In October 2013 Preston Crown Court heard that the pair viciously assaulted Mr Wildeman by punching, kicking and stamping on him.

The beating was a revenge attack after Mr Wildeman allegedly accused a youth known to Steven Quigley of setting fire to his net curtains. The court heard Steven Quigley said he would ‘smash his head in’, and gained entry to the house by pulling away a board from the window. He then set upon Mr Wildeman who offered no resistance.

Steven Quigley recruited his uncle Gary to go with him, to tell him to stop if he went too far.

Mr Wildeman sustained multiple facial fractures in the attack, including to both his cheeks, his forehead and his nose, and had an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.