Middlesbrough teenager kicked and punched due to skin colour

Alfie Holdsworth delivered at least two kicks to the teenager after he was knocked to the ground by a gang of up to ten people.

The boy was out on his bike with his older brother, when he got caught up in the violence of the Middlesbrough protests on August 4.

Teesside Crown Court heard how there was no suggestion that the teenager had been involved in any protest before he was brutally attacked in the street.

The 14-year-old’s mother told the court how the gang attacked her son like a ‘pack of dogs’ as he was subjected to repeated kicks and punches.

Alfie Holdsworth, with the red arrow pointing at him, delivering a kick to the teenager as he was on the floor (Image: Cleveland Police)

The 20-year-old - who is also known as Alfie Holdsworth-Hussain - attended the riots to protect the town's Mosque, on Waterloo Road, after he learned it had been damaged.

The court also heard how the teenager tried to get out of the area, but became trapped on Linthorpe Road, before he was violently attacked.

Alfie Holdsworth (Image: Cleveland Police)

Holdsworth, of Axwell Terrace, Whickham, pleaded guilty to a charge of violent order following the disturbance in Middlesbrough town centre.

Michael Cahill, mitigating, said his client had not gone out looking for trouble but had simply gone out to protect his place of worship and urged the judge to pass a suspended sentence.

“The deficit in his thinking skills led him to respond in the way he did instead of allowing the police to deal with matters in protecting his place of worship, he put himself into the situation and it demonstrates a complete lack of thinking skills,” he said.

“His response to feeling threatened was to fight fire with fire and that was clearly not an appropriate response.”

Alfie Holdsworth in Middlesbrough town centre (Image: Cleveland Police)

Judge Jonathan Carroll told Holdsworth that the group attack was carried out for no other reason than the ‘colour of his skin’.

“Middlesbrough is a diverse and multicultural community in both colour, race and beliefs. That is simply not going to change.

“Whatever differences we have between communities must be dealt with in a proper, law-abiding way,” he said.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

• A shoplifter and drink or drug drivers have appeared in County Durham courts
• Darlington thug kicked and spat at officers when he attempted to resist arrest
• Convicted County Durham sex offender in court for downloading social media apps

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Get access to the latest offer for annual or monthly subscription. Click here for details.

"I accept that you didn't go to seek trouble or provoke a fight. Undoubtedly that counter-protest group threw missiles into the marching group - that seems to have triggered the outburst of violence.

“Once that violence broke out, as is clear from the CCTV, you were involved in it - the particular victim was 14-years-old out with his brother. There’s simply no suggestion that he was a marcher or a participant in the trouble that was taking place.

“He was picked out for no other reason than his race and colour.”

Holdsworth was sent to a young offenders’ institute for 14 months.