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| Boy guilty over Oxford Street 'coronavirus attack' | Boy guilty over Oxford Street 'coronavirus attack' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A 15-year-old boy has admitted attacking a student from Singapore who was told "we don't want your coronavirus in our country". | A 15-year-old boy has admitted attacking a student from Singapore who was told "we don't want your coronavirus in our country". |
| Jonathan Mok, 23, was beaten up in Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road Tube station on 24 February. | |
| The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court to wounding or grievous bodily harm without intent. | The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court to wounding or grievous bodily harm without intent. |
| He will be sentenced at the same court next month. | He will be sentenced at the same court next month. |
| 'Don't you look at me' | |
| Prosecutor Beata Murphy said the teenager had been with a group of friends when they saw UCL student Mr Mok walking along Oxford Street just after 21:00 GMT. | |
| She added: "He [the victim] heard someone say something about coronavirus and he turned around and was told 'don't you look at me'. | She added: "He [the victim] heard someone say something about coronavirus and he turned around and was told 'don't you look at me'. |
| "He was then punched in the face... until a passerby said to stop assaulting Mr Mok. | |
| "He believes he was targeted because of ethnicity." | "He believes he was targeted because of ethnicity." |
| Images of Mr Mok's bruised and swollen eye posted on Facebook were shared thousands of times following the attack. | |
| X-rays showed he had suffered a complicated fracture to his nose and also to his cheekbone. | |
| Mrs Murphy said during his police interviews the boy was "silent" until CCTV images were shown to him when he said "you can't even see me hit him". | Mrs Murphy said during his police interviews the boy was "silent" until CCTV images were shown to him when he said "you can't even see me hit him". |
| 'Completely unprovoked' | 'Completely unprovoked' |
| Defence barrister Gerard Pitt said the boy was not charged with racially aggravated assault. | |
| District Judge Nicholas Rimmer adjourned sentencing until 7 September for a report to be prepared. | District Judge Nicholas Rimmer adjourned sentencing until 7 September for a report to be prepared. |
| Afterwards the Crown Prosecution Service's Daniel Kavanagh said the attack was "vicious and completely unprovoked". | Afterwards the Crown Prosecution Service's Daniel Kavanagh said the attack was "vicious and completely unprovoked". |
| "He was clearly targeted in this hate crime because of his ethnic appearance. | "He was clearly targeted in this hate crime because of his ethnic appearance. |
| "Hate crime has a corrosive effect on our society and nobody should be subjected to such vile behaviour." | |