Two Brighton and Hove teenagers admit attacking four men

Two teenagers from Brighton and Hove have admitted robbery and assault during a 90-minute spree in which four men were attacked.

They changed their plea from not guilty to guilty shortly before they were due to be tried by a crown court jury.

Max Corbett, 19, from Albany Villas, Hove, and a 17-year-old boy from Brighton faced a trial starting next Monday (12 August).

Instead the pair will now be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Friday 6 September. Corbett has been bailed until then while the boy has been remanded back into custody.

The two teenagers rode a moped the wrong way down St James’s Street in Brighton in the early hours of Friday 26 October last year.

This led to a confrontation with a 36-year-old man from Brighton. He was attacked and suffered head injuries.

The man spent several months in a medically induced coma at Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath as a result of the attack.

Shortly afterwards, at about 12.45am, the teenagers went into a bar in Cranbourne Street, Brighton, and attacked the landlord when he refused to serve them.

At about 2am they robbed two men aged 20 and 21 near The Level in Brighton.

Both victims were left with cuts and bruises after the muggings in Washington Street. One had an iPhone stolen and the other a BlackBerry, cards and £20 cash although their possessions were later recovered.

Corbett, who was 18 at the time, and the boy were both arrested by officers from Sussex Police a short time later.

Corbett now admits robbery and assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH) in Washington Street and having ketamine.

The boy has pleaded guilty to assaulting the 36-year-old man in St James’s Street, causing him grievous bodily harm (GBH).

He also now admits assaulting the pub landlord and one of the victims in Washington Street, causing them ABH. And he has pleaded guilty to robbery.