Young yobs jailed

A district judge lifted the reporting restrictions on the three youths, who hurled bricks at the terrified men, after an application from the Herald, allowing us to name and shame them.

District Judge Paul Tain sentenced Deborah Barnes, of Reigate Road, Worthing, Chris Harris, of Harrison Road, East Worthing, Sean Tierney, of Waller Drive, Northwood Hills, all 17, and Thomas Dillon, 18, of Ruskin Road, Worthing, to six months in custody each for the attack on Shafiqur Rahman and his son Nazrul outside their cash and carry shop, Raja, in Dominion Road, on February 2.

Mr Tain told Worthing Magistrates' Youth Court that the East Worthing community terrorised by the gang had a right to know their identities.

"We have a group of youngsters who have clearly been involved in things which have caused problems for the community who can't put names to faces. They have a right to know that they have been dealt with in court."

Judge Tain sentenced all four to six months' detention and training. They will each serve three months in custody and three months receiving training.

"To me, as some sort of little gang you have decided you don't like those chaps, so you decided to give them a really hard time related to their race and the whole thing got ridiculously out of hand," he said.

"I have done lots of cases where people have chucked stones, used belts and racist abuse, but the thing I just can't get away from were these two chaps getting stoned, not across a room or a street, but really close and I have to tell the public at large that this offence has consequences."

Catherine Green, prosecuting, told the court the youths hurled bricks and launched a tirade of racist abuse at the Muslim shopkeepers.

She said Mr Rahman and his son were working in their shop when a group of youths stood outside the shop shouting vile racist abuse.

"Fearing attack they went outside where one of them was swinging a belt over his head as a weapon and others where picking up bricks and throwing them over Dominion Road.

"Some of the bricks narrowly missed passing cars. One of the youths was heard shouting: 'Smash that b*****d's head'."

All four were picked out in an identity parade after denying any involvement in the incident when they were arrested.

Mr Rahman picked out Harris as the gang member who initiated the attack. He told officers Harris had threatened him with a belt and threw a brick at his neck in the attack.

He said Barnes, who appeared at the court in custody, had thrown another brick at his leg.

Miss Green told the court witnesses saw Dillon throw "at least" five bricks at Mr Rahman.

Tierney was also charged with breaching his Anti Social Behaviour Order, which he was made the subject of in January. The order prevented him from going within 20 metres of an Alldays shop in Dominion Road or a One Stop in Broadwater Street.

There was no extra penalty for this offence.

James Bloomer, defending Barnes, said she had not been charged with an offence since March. "She has seriously reflected on the situation," he said. "Many issues from her upbringing go a long way to explaining, if not excusing, what she has done. It is not completely without explanation that this 17-year-old has involved herself in these matters."

Guy Dilliway-Parry, representing Tierney, said the teenager had got himself a job at a restaurant since the incident and was "a valued member of the team".

He said Tierney started to get into crime when he moved out of his father's house and in with friends. "He committed all of these offences in a very short space of time. There has been a marked change since."

Defending Harris, Barbara Down told the court: "He is clearly a troubled person and he has still not chosen to deal with those issues. He has a serious addiction to crack cocaine, but has been clean for the last five weeks. He also suffers from asthma and epilepsy. He needs intervention and needs help."

Richard Martin, defending Dillon, told the court his client had no previous convictions for violence or public order offences. "In short," he said "this man has all the hallmarks of not being violent up until this incident. This behaviour was wholly out of character."