IPSWICH: A 15-year-old boy was part of a gang of would- be robbers who smashed a bottle over a man’s head and threw a brick in his face, causing a cut which needed more than 20 stitches, a court has heard.

Anthony Kirk, 44, was shopping in the Rosebery Road area of Ipswich at around 6.30pm on February 15 when he was hit with a bottle on the back of his head and punched in the side of the face, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He was then pushed up against a wall while a gang of five or six men and youths kicked and punched him, said Patricia Doggett, prosecuting.

Two of the males told him to hand over his money or he would be stabbed in the neck. Mr Kirk fought back and was hit in the forehead by a brick which was thrown at him.

He made his way to a police car he could see in the area and he was taken to hospital where he had between 20 and 30 stitches in a large cut on his forehead. He was also found to have a cut of between 1in and 2in on his head and a lump and bruising under his eye, said Miss Doggett.

She said a witness heard a commotion and saw a 15-year-old boy she recognised come running out of an alleyway with another male. She rang the police and the 15-year-old was seen by officers but made no comment to questions put to him about the incident.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, admitted attempted robbery and was made the subject of a 12-month detention and training order.

Sentencing him, Judge John Devaux said the boy had not been the lead offender and the offence was opportunistic. He said the boy had 20 previous convictions, including some for violence, and he had been assessed as being at high risk of re-offending.

Christopher Paxton, for the boy, said he wanted to make changes to his life and had already taken steps to do so .