TWO men beat up a teenager who had been accused of ‘chatting up’ one of their girlfriends.

David Hilton and Stuart Dutfield left their 16-year-old victim with a swollen lip and a bruised jaw and neck following the attack outside the Virgin Tavern in Tolladine Road, Tolladine, Worcester.

The men, both of Tolladine Road, admitted battery when they appeared before district judge Bruce Morgan at Worcester Magistrates Court. Hilton admitted two further charges of criminal damage involving a Citroën Saxo and a Peugeot 207 which he damaged after the attack.

The court heard how the 16-year-old victim and a friend had been waiting for their friends in the car park of the pub on Monday, October 12 when a Land Rover pulled up containing both defendants and two females.

Sarah Stock, prosecuting, said 21-year-old Hilton grabbed one of the teenagers by the ear and asked him “are you chatting up my girlfriend?” When he said he was not, Hilton asked the 16-year-old victim the same question.

Mrs Stock said: “He got the victim in a headlock and thumped him in the head. Dutfield then joined in and punched him in the mouth. He suffered bruising to his jaw, neck and lip.”

When another man tried to intervene, Hilton deliberately damaged two cars, one of them belonging to the victim’s friend, causing £40 damage to a Citroën Saxo.

The cost of the damage to the Peugeot was not revealed at the court hearing.

Mrs Stock said a witness to the incident called 999 and Hilton tried to run away but was quickly detained by police. She said: “He swore at the officers and said ‘when I see you in town I will smash your face in’.

“There were a number of children present at the time.”

Both men admitted they had been drinking before the attack, which Mrs Stock said was unprovoked.

The case was adjourned until Friday, December 18. Dutfield, aged 19, and Hilton were released on conditional bail until that date.

l Your Worcester News reporter was the only member of the media at this court hearing.