Two teenage thugs, armed with a pick-axe handle and a lump of wood, attacked a 17-year-old boy in Ramsgate leaving him with life-threatening head injuries, a court heard.

They robbed him of £75 cash, stole two gold rings – each keeping one for himself – and sold his mobile phone and MP3 player for just a few pounds.

Sam Eastwell was left bleeding heavily from head injuries and staggered to steps outside nearby Albion House where he was found unconscious by two members of the public and rushed to hospital.

His family had no idea what had happened until his mother went to his room later that morning and found him missing and eventually found out from the police her son was in hospital gravely injured.

The family rushed to Kings College Hospital in London where at one stage they were told by doctors to expect the worst.

The phone had been sold for £60 to a girl, and she later threw it in the sea. The MP3 player was sold to another boy, but following publicity about the attack, he told his father who contacted the police and they made two arrests at an address in Pegwell Road on August 14.

The two, now aged 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court and admitted robbery and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Both were remanded in custody for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports and will be sentenced in December.

Judge Adele Williams said she had to consider the risk of future serious harm to the general public.

Young Sam and his family were in court to hear the horrific account of events that night.

Cairns Nelson, prosecuting, said it was an 'unprovoked and premeditated attack’ and that the accused had been smoking cannabis and just before midnight on August 6 went out to find someone to rob to get money for drugs. They took a pick-axe handle and picked up a piece of wood on the way.

Sam - described as a quiet and gifted young man, devoted to his family, a non-drinker and hard-working student - had taken his younger brother home from a fireworks display in Broadstairs and had then gone to meet a girlfriend. About midnight he was going home and went for a walk because he wanted to clear his head.

As he sat on a park bench listening to music the defendants attacked him without warning - each later blaming the other for striking the first blow.

He went into a coma, suffering a bleeding into the brain and underwent emergency surgery. His condition was critical and he suffered severe complications including serious organ disfunction. A temporary pacemaker had to be fitted and he spent a month in hospital.

He is still undergoing speech therapy, cannot run, suffers motor neurone problems, and is still an outpatient at both Buckland and Kings College hospitals.

When first interviewed, the defendants tried to claim they acted in self defence but admitted their involvement, and that it was pre-planned by them for the purpose of robbery, said Mr Nelson.

The 17-year-old defendant has one conviction from 2005 for unlawful wounding, his co-accused has one caution, but no convictions.