“HE is an animal who has taken away my boy and ruined my life.”

They are the words of the grieving mum of manslaughter victim Luke Woolf after his killer lost his appeal against his sentence and conviction.

Scott Townson, who was jailed for seven years last July, had launched a bid to clear his name – but it was thrown out by senior judges.

The 20-year-old had been found guilty by jurors of delivering the fatal blows that left 18-year-old Luke in a coma for five months before he died after contracting pneumonia.

The vicious attack happened at the Rainbow Project hostel in Radcliffe Road, Northam, in October, 2008.

Townson, who was high on drink, ecstasy and cocaine, dragged Luke out of the property in Radcliffe Road, after finding him in the lounge.

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Luke, a previous resident, had been banned from the premises but had never handed in his keys.

Townson – who claimed at his trial that he had acted in self defence after being attacked by Luke – put the bleeding victim on his bike but he fell off within seconds. Townson then dragged him across the pavement and dumped his body in the children’s park opposite.

His girlfriend rang the emergency services two hours later, by which time Luke was already in a coma.

The teenager never regained consciousness and died five months later in hospital from pneumonia.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Luke’s mum Sarah Alexander, said: “The way he left my son for dead – an animal could not have done that to another animal.

“He should not have had any right to appeal. What about Luke’s rights? He had none.”

Talking about the months before Luke died, Sarah, who lives in Sholing, said: “He was about nine stone but we watched him waste away to about three-and-a-half stone before he died.

“We had to stop his friends from seeing him because it would have been too upsetting. He had to fight and suffer for five months.

“We will never wake up from this nightmare. He didn’t even have the chance to have his say. He couldn’t even speak. The only thing that will ease our pain is knowing we are getting justice for Luke.”