Teenager, 13, admits kicking Met Police officer in head in 'unprovoked' attack in Hackney

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A 13-year-old boy has admitted kicking a police officer in the head in a group attack in Hackney that was captured on viral social media footage.

The teenager joined in the violence when he saw a man being arrested, striking a male officer who was lying on the ground and kicking his female colleague in the leg while hurling abuse.

The boy, who cannot be named, later admitted his part in the "group attack", insisting he was “scared” after watching recent news coverage and Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

After footage of the incident went viral on social media, Home Secrtary Priti Patel denounced the incident as “sickening” and the Police Federation said officers were “not society’s punch bags”.

Prosecutor Varinder Hayre told Thames magistrates court this morning: “This relates to an unprovoked and deliberate group attack on two serving police officers simply conducting their daily jobs.

“The incident has also attracted national media coverage and commentary from the Home Secretary Priti Patel, with the video placed on social media.”

She said the two Met Police officers – PC Macpherson and PC Ali - were attempting to detain a man when they were set upon by a group of people, including the teenage boy.

“He kicked towards PC Macpherson’s head and kicked PC Ali in the leg while shouting abuse”, said Ms Hayre.

“Subsequently he was arrested and interviewed, and made full admissions to the offence. He said he had identified himself on social media footage.”

The boy told detectives he “believed he was helping” when he joined in the violence, adding: “He said he was scared at what he was witnessing, combined with everything he was seeing on the news regarding Black Lives Matter.

“He said he was sorry for kicking the officers and felt he shouldn’t have got involved in the way that he had.”

The incident happened in Frampton Park Road, Hackney, at around 3.20pm on Wednesday.

The boy pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, and District Judge Jonathan Radway sent the case to the youth court for sentencing.

The teen, accompanied at court by his aunt, was ordered to sleep each night at his east London home and observe a 7pm to 7am curfew until his sentencing hearing on July 8 at Stratford youth court.

The judge also ordered that the boy’s mother attend the next hearing.

Three men from Hackney who were allegedly also involved in the same incident were sent to the crown court to face a trial.

Paul Kabemba, 33, is accused of assaulting a member of the public in the build-up to the alleged attack on the police officers. He also faces a charge of assaulting an emergency worker. Jordan Thomas, 20, and Marvin Henderson, 34, each face two charges of assaulting an emergency worker.

All three entered not guilty pleas this afternoon and were freed on bail until a hearing at Wood Green crown court on July 10.

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