Teenagers admit attack on GothsTeenagers admit attack on Goths
Saturday, January 31, 2009, 08:31TEENAGERS have admitted drunkenly and "ferociously" attacking another group of young people who they targeted because they were 'Goths'.
The three boys, who cannot be identified because of their age, all pleaded guilty to affray over the incident in Sidmouth, at Exeter Crown Court yesterday.
They are a 16-year-old and 14-year-old from the town and a 15-year-old who lives nearby.
The affray involves using or threatening unlawful violence, in an incident on June 28 last year.
Prosecutor Mary McCarthy said the gang attacked a group of young people simply because they were dressed in the 'Goth' style.
She said: "This was a group who attacked another group of youngsters who were enjoying a fire in a field near Sidmouth. They were dressed as Goths and that seems to be the reason why they were attacked.
"It appears this group specifically went to the area where the other group were to attack them. The defendants approached them and were all under the influence of alcohol."
She said that the 16-year-old began the attack and the others joined in.
"It was ferocious," she said. "They kicked the other youngsters to the ground, including a female complainant."
The victims did not have any lasting injuries, such as broken bones, but were badly bruised and also suffered cuts.
The 16-year-old has previous convictions for assault and actual bodily harm, for which he has received an absolute discharge, but the other two defendants do not have a criminal record.
Emily Pitts, representing the 16-year-old, said he was now doing well at school and would benefit from help from the youth offending team.
There was no mitigation at this stage on behalf of the other two boys.
Judge Graham Cottle said the trio would be sentenced at youth court, in the Central Devon Magistrates Court in Exeter.
He released them on bail to be sentenced there on a date to be set. The judge told them: "The fact you are granted bail doesn't necessarily mean you will not get detention and training orders," although he had earlier said that a community sentence could be considered
I guess I missed this story last year? It makes me sad that the kids doing these kinds of things just seem to get younger and younger.