A man who severely beat and burned an Australian tourist in Ocean Beach in 2008 has been sentenced to 14 years in state prison. Damian Maple, 22, was ordered May 27 to pay nearly $2,100 in medical expenses to the tourist, Robert Schneider, now 27. Schneider and his parents, who live in Adelaide, wrote letters to the judge noting Schneider’s continuing recovery from the Feb. 27, 2008 beating that took place at the foot of Abbott Street. Schneider was beaten over the head with a skateboard and thrown into an active fire pit. In a separate decision, San Diego Superior Court Judge David Danielsen also ordered Maple to pay more than $160 medical expenses to another victim, Justin Hayes, whose jaw was fractured by Maple on Feb. 9, 2008 at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach. Maple was given credit for already having served 13 months in jail. He pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Schneider and to felony assault on Hayes. He agreed to accept a 14-year term to resolve the Schneider case and other charges involving one other victim were dropped. Francisco “Cisco” Montoya, 47, a co-defendant in the Schneider case, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon — the skateboard — and was sentenced March 16 to two years in prison. Montoya was also ordered to pay restitution to Schneider. Schneider suffered a skull fracture and brain injuries, along with severe burns, broken bones and facial injuries. He was in a medical coma for weeks. His parents traveled from Adelaide to be by his side in the hospital. “He still has a long way to go (in recovery),” wrote Judy and Peter Schneider in a letter to the judge. They said their son cannot fully relax and becomes agitated somewhat easily. They said Schneider also has dizzy spells and is sometimes reclusive. They wrote that Schneider has still not talked about the incident in detail to them. According to another letter written to the judge, Schneider said he must apply cream to the burned skin area three times daily and has to wear a special suit that aids the healing of his skin grafts. He wrote he has not been able to surf or travel since the incident. Schneider said he finally recovered enough to get a driver license five months after returning to Australia, citing frustration at having to constantly ask for rides from people. There was an outpouring of local support for Schneider following the assault, spawning fundraisers that helped offset his hospital bills. Schneider’s parents have expressed their gratitude. “There were two bad people in San Diego,” Peter Schneider has said. “[But] thousands of people [there] have poured out their hearts to us.” Robert Schneider was following a dream of his to travel and was staying at the Ocean Beach Hostel on Newport Avenue at the time of the incident, according to court records. The records also say Schneider was with Maple and Montoya around 5:30 a.m. when the argument began. Maple later admitted to police he had taken LSD that night and was also drinking tequila. Maple and Montoya fled the area following the assault on Schneider. Both were arrested in separate states on the same day in March 2008. Maple was found hiding under a bed in the home of an acquaintance in Idaho. Montoya was arrested in Eugene, Ore.