13 August 2012 Last updated at 16:26 ET

Manchester trio admit attacking student Daniel Whiteley

The trio admitted attacking student Daniel Whiteley

Two men and a woman have admitted attacking a student who was robbed, beaten and left for dead in a drainage ditch in Manchester.

Michael Brownlie, 26, and Nicholas Lindsay, 22, from Manchester pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Daniel Whiteley, 19, from Barnsley.

Lindsay's girlfriend Katie Mongan, 18, admitted causing grievous bodily harm. All three admitted robbery.

They will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 14 September.

Brownlie, of Erneley Close, Longsight, Lindsay, of Aked Close, Longsight, and Mongan, of Mount Road, Longsight, were all remanded in custody.

The court was told the first year English student at the University of Manchester was marched to a park where he was forced to hand over his bank card and pin number in the early hours of 28 February.

He was kicked and stamped on, then thrown unconscious into a freezing cold culvert as his attackers fled and withdrew cash from his account.

Dumped in stream

The student met the trio by chance as he ate in Krunchy Fried Chicken takeaway in Fallowfield after enjoying a night out with fellow students at a city centre bar.

It is understood one of the defendants had been asking passers-by for cigarettes and Mr Whiteley was also approached but said he had none to give.

He was verbally abused by Mongan who staff asked to leave the shop.

The student later bumped into them and was verbally abused again by Mongan, told to hand over his watch and shoved into nearby Platt Fields park.

He was robbed of his mobile phone and bank card before he was battered unconscious.

Lindsay carried him over a fence and dumped the student into the water, the court heard.

A passing cyclist heard his groan from the stream several hours after the attack and Mr Whiteley was pulled out of the water by paramedics.

He had suffered extensive bleeding to the brain and underwent life-saving emergency surgery.