A 13-year-old boy has claimed his attack on two police officers was done out of fear after watching footage of Black Lives Matter protests
The teenager was one of four defendants appearing in court today after the constables were beaten in a savage onslaught which went viral on social media and even drew condemnation from the Home Secretary.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted to kicking male PC McPherson’s head, hitting and poking female PC Ali and shouting abuse in the ‘completely random’ and ‘unprovoked attack.’
He said he thought he was helping another man who he saw in a headlock and was scared after everything he had seen in the news regarding the George Floyd protests.
Paul Kabemba, 33, Jordan Thomas, 20, and Marvin Henderson, 34, from Hackney, were arrested after the sickening attack along with the 13-year-old.
PC McPherson and PC Ali sustained minor injuries after they were attacked along with one member of the public on Wednesday in Hackney, north east London.
Today the 13-year-old boy, accompanied by his aunt, admitted two counts of assault by beating at Thames Magistrates Court.
Prosecutor Varinder Hayre said: ‘This is related to an unprovoked attack on two serving police officers who were simply conducting their daily job.
‘The officer was dealing with one of the defendants who was resisting arrest.
‘PC McPherson was involved. He was dealing with that person.
‘He [the teenager] then kicked PC McPherson’s head and he kicked PC Ali in the head and he poked PC Ali.
‘He was shouting abuse. He was subsequently arrested and he was interviewed by police.
‘When he was interviewed by police he made full admission to the offence. He identified himself on the video footage.
‘He admitted to kicking both police officers.
A group of men surround an officer as he grapples with a suspect on the floor, pictured left, while a grinning youth poses for a photo, pictured right, as the melee unfolds behind him
‘He said he heard Mr Kabemba shouting ‘I am innocent’ several times and he believed he was helping Mr Kabemba who he saw in a headlock.
‘He said he was scared with what he had witnessed with everything he had been seeing and with the news with regards to Black Lives Matter.
‘He said he was sorry for kicking the officers and he felt he shouldn’t have got involved in the way that he did.’
Helen Da-Silva, defending, said the incident was ‘completely random.’
She said: ‘It is a completely random event that happened.’
The boy will be sentenced at Stratford Youth Court on July 8.
District Judge Jonathan Radway said: ‘You have pleaded guilty to these two assaults.
‘You will get a youth court sentence because of your guilty plea and I am going to send this to the youth court because you are 13 years of age.
One man charged toward the altercation in Hackney, east London, carrying a baseball bat, pictured left, although he later appeared to be acting as a peacemaker. Moments later the officer was punched in the back of the head after being surrounded by a group, pictured right
‘To make sure you stay out of trouble, I am going to say you must be indoors between 7 o’clock in the evening and 7 o’clock in the morning.
‘I am going to make sure your mother attends the next hearing at the youth court on July 8.’
Kabemba, Thomas and Henderson are due to appear in court later today.
Kabemba was charged with one count of assault on emergency worker PC McPherson and one count of assault on a member of the public.
Thomas, Henderson and the 13-year-old boy were each charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
A police van driving past the scene of an attack on two Scotland Yard officers in Hackney, east London on Wednesday