THE death of a man left in a persistent vegetative state after a vicious attack has landed a Harpenden man in court charged with murder. Daniel Gorman, aged 22, of Longfield Road, Harpenden, was sentenced to six years in a young offenders institution in M

THE death of a man left in a persistent vegetative state after a vicious attack has landed a Harpenden man in court charged with murder.

Daniel Gorman, aged 22, of Longfield Road, Harpenden, was sentenced to six years in a young offenders institution in May 2004 when he was found guilty of wounding 57-year-old former seaman Edward Nelson in Lowestoft.

When Mr Nelson died in June 2006, a charge of murder was brought against Gorman who is currently on trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

Gorman, who lived in Lowestoft at the time of the attack, is pleading not guilty to murder after being convicted by a jury of causing Mr Nelson grievous bodily harm in 2004.

The court heard that as a result of the severe head injuries he suffered in the attack, Mr Nelson, an alcoholic, had been left in a persistent vegetative state and had a life expectancy of between two and five years.

Karim Khalil, prosecuting, alleged that in September 2003 Mr Nelson was viciously kicked and punched in his Lowestoft home by Gorman and another man called Mark "Bomber" Harris.

On the day of the attack Gorman had visited people he knew in a neighbouring flat to that of Mr Nelson. Describing Gorman and his friends as, "by and large alcoholics" who drank a lot that afternoon, Mr Khalil said much of the detail of what had happened had come from what Gorman said to people afterwards.

It was alleged that Harris initially attacked Mr Nelson whom he accused of being a "nonce" - a slang term for a child molester. Gorman was said to have later told police that he "flipped his lid" when he heard of the allegations against Mr Nelson and carried out his own attack.

Gorman surrendered himself to police in St Albans two months after the attack, allegedly telling an officer: "If it is that nonce in Lowestoft you want me for, he deserved it."

Harris, who lives in Lowestoft, was jailed for two and a half years in May 2004 after admitting causing Mr Nelson actual bodily harm.

The court heard that Mr Nelson had worked on fishing boats but his alcoholism had forced him to give it up.

The case continues.