Breaking news Trio jailed for 'frenzied' attack on Vito Mazzotta
Updated 4:04pm Tuesday 9th February 2016 in 
By Michael Benke
By Michael Benke 
Daniel Peapell, Raffaele Bretti and Zak Doyle have admitted their part in the attack on Vito Mazzotta 
THE three men responsible for the violent attack in Eldene on Vito Mazzotta last June, which saw him stabbed multiple times, have been jailed for a total of almost 30 years.
Yesterday, Raffaele Bretti, 20, of Wharf Road, Daniel Peapell, 21, of Trowbridge Close, and Zak Doyle, 19, of Abbeymeads, all pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Bristol Crown CouIn mitigation, all three said they were provoked by the victim and the armed gang he was with but the judge said as the attack happened when Mazzotta was on his own, it was a very serious crime.
Bretti, who is a cousin of his victim, and Doyle were each given ten years and four months for the offence and will begin their sentence in a young offender’s institute.
Peapell was deemed to have played slightly a lesser role and so was given eight years and nine months.
These sentences had been reduced by 20 per cent as they pleaded guilty to GBH at the first opportunity and the eight months they have already spent in prison will be taken off.
As the sentences were read out, the trio stood expressionless while the family of Doyle and Bretti in court wept. One member swore and stormed out of the court room as Justice Juliet May read out her decision.
He was kicked in the head, beaten with a pole and stabbed ten times. It was only the quick actions of the emergency services which saved his life.
The incident began following an altercation between several groups of friends over an attempted bike theft.
Later in the evening the defendants were at a block of flats in Bowleymead, Eldene, when Mr Mazzotta and a group of friends, armed with bats and metal poles, arrived outside, angry at the earlier incident.
All involved had been drinking and a shouting match between the two groups occurred which escalated into a stand-off in the reception.
When Peapell tried to escape, Mr Mazzotta and his group gave chase. Bretti and Doyle armed themselves with knives from the flat where they had been and went outside.
After a period of confusion, the victim was left alone with all three defendants when the attack began.
The defence teams of the trio argued they had not gone out looking for trouble that evening and the attack on Mr Mazzotta was in response to an armed gang which initially outnumbered them.
But Justice May said: “You have said you armed yourself in response to provocation but I believe adrenaline was also a factor.
“By the time of the attack he was alone, left facing all three of you and you took full advantage. One witness speaks of him being kicked in the head like a football.
“Daniel Peapell may have run off at this point but Bretti and Doyle stayed and stabbed him again and again, leaving him curled up like a ball on the ground.”
On Monday, the court heard how Mr Mazzotta, who made a full physical recovery, had been left fearing for his life during the attack.
In a statement written the weeks after the attack read out to the court, he said: “I am very nervous and anxious about going out on my own.
“I do not like large groups and mostly stay at home. I do not understand the level of violence which was used.”
Yesterday, Raffaele Bretti, 20, of Wharf Road, Daniel Peapell, 21, of Trowbridge Close, and Zak Doyle, 19, of Abbeymeads, all pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Bristol Crown CouIn mitigation, all three said they were provoked by the victim and the armed gang he was with but the judge said as the attack happened when Mazzotta was on his own, it was a very serious crime.
Peapell was deemed to have played slightly a lesser role and so was given eight years and nine months.
These sentences had been reduced by 20 per cent as they pleaded guilty to GBH at the first opportunity and the eight months they have already spent in prison will be taken off.
As the sentences were read out, the trio stood expressionless while the family of Doyle and Bretti in court wept. One member swore and stormed out of the court room as Justice Juliet May read out her decision.
On Monday the court heard the ‘frenzied’ attack on June 13 was so serious it left 18-year-old Mr Mazzotta fearing for his life.
The incident began following an altercation between several groups of friends over an attempted bike theft.
Later in the evening the defendants were at a block of flats in Bowleymead, Eldene, when Mr Mazzotta and a group of friends, armed with bats and metal poles, arrived outside, angry at the earlier incident.
All involved had been drinking and a shouting match between the two groups occurred which escalated into a stand-off in the reception.
When Peapell tried to escape, Mr Mazzotta and his group gave chase. Bretti and Doyle armed themselves with knives from the flat where they had been and went outside.
After a period of confusion, the victim was left alone with all three defendants when the attack began.
The defence teams of the trio argued they had not gone out looking for trouble that evening and the attack on Mr Mazzotta was in response to an armed gang which initially outnumbered them.
But Justice May said: “You have said you armed yourself in response to provocation but I believe adrenaline was also a factor.
“By the time of the attack he was alone, left facing all three of you and you took full advantage. One witness speaks of him being kicked in the head like a football.
“Daniel Peapell may have run off at this point but Bretti and Doyle stayed and stabbed him again and again, leaving him curled up like a ball on the ground.”
On Monday, the court heard how Mr Mazzotta, who made a full physical recovery, had been left fearing for his life during the attack.
In a statement written the weeks after the attack read out to the court, he said: “I am very nervous and anxious about going out on my own.
“I do not like large groups and mostly stay at home. I do not understand the level of violence which was used.”
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