A teenage lesbian was beaten by a 19 year-old woman in a
ferocious, unprovoked attack on a crowded train, a court has
heard.
Hastings Magistrates Court was told how April James, 19, kicked
the 16-year-old girl - who cannot be named - on the floor of a
packed commuter train in October, last year.
It allegedly followed a slew of homophobic verbal abuse after the
victim shared a kiss with her girlfriend.
Mark Kateley, prosecuting, said the girl was "punched, had her
hair pulled and at one point had her head banged against the door
and ended up on the floor being kicked a number of times on the
floor," in the attack.
According to the Bexhill Observer, the two girls later
identified James on social networking site Facebook and informed
police, the paper reports.
Yet, although James has pleaded guilty to assault, she has
rejected the description of events.
Linda Kerry, defending, said: "Whilst Miss James accepts
assaulting this young lady, she does not accept it happened in the
way the Crown describes."
As a result of this factual dispute, a short trial will now take
place in front of a judge to determine what happened.
The hearing will take place at Hastings Magistrates Court on 23
April.
