A teenage boy set upon by a group of schoolmates was targeted after boasting about carrying knives and using the n-word in music videos, a court heard this week.
The boy was left with a bleeding nose and bruising after being punched to the ground and kicked during end of exam celebrations on Hove Lawns last year.
Six teenage boys have now been convicted of their part in the brawl, and ordered to pay the victim a total of £1350 in compensation.
All six were charged with affray and assault after the fight on 22 June last year.
Four pleaded guilty to both charges, and one to affray when they appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court in July this year.
The sixth pleaded not guilty to both, but today changed his plea to guilty just before his trial was due to begin.
Prosecuting at Brighton today, Catherine Flatt said: “There had been a school leavers celebration at Hove Lawns and oneof the group called out to the victim saying he had some sort of issue.
“A group of friend scrowded round the victim and at that point the defendant threw a punch.
“The group proceeded to punch the victim to the head and push him to the ground. He got up and tried to run, but was chased and thrown to the ground again.
“He was eventually helped and taken to a nearby car. The defendant threw the first punch – however, it was also him at the end of the incident who went to help the victim.
“It surprised the victim himself because he couldn’t understand that he had been one of the people to start it, and then he came to his aid.
“It’s the sort of incident which could have gone horribly wrong.”
Defending, Mark Loncke said: “The defendant was in drink and he himself was the victim of racism and the words thatwere used by the complainant.
It doesn’t justify what he did. The complainant was using words like n***** – the shortened version – in songs around that time.”
The youth said: “I know there’s no excuse for it, even being drunk or saying he was racist.
“It was in school, making music, I was giving him advice. I said when he said the n-word, some people would have a problem with it.
“Quite a few people have questioned him about his music.”
The boy’s grandfather said: “What I don’t understand is they were friends at school, they have grown up along the way.
“He was trying to say to him – that stuff you are saying in your videos, people are going to test you. If you say I’m carrying a knife, people will say where’s the knife then?”
Chair of the bench Alison Musker told him she didn’t want to see him back in court and gave him a conditional discharge.
His co-defendants were sentenced at an earlier hearing. One was also given a conditional discharge, two were given seven month referral orders and one a 12-month youth rehabilitation order.
Four were ordered to pay £300 in compensation to the victim, and another £50. The youth sentenced this week was ordered to pay £100 compensation.
