A 15 -year-old Sandys youth was remanded in custody yesterday after admitting he beat up another boy because he thought he was a homosexual.

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged indictably with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to another youth. However, due to his age he will be spared from going to Supreme Court.

Crown counsel Juan Wolffe told the court that the Crown would be seeking the maximum sentence that Magistrates? Court could ?deal out?.

Mr. Wolffe read out a summary of the offence, which happened on Friday.

The defendant and three other people ? all wearing black masks or covering their faces with white t-shirts ? were driving in a car and saw the complainant and another boy walking down Reid Street.

They shouted, ?Batty Boys? ? using the Jamaican slang for homosexual. The four boys got out of the car and chased the complainant and his friend down the street.

Mr. Wolffe told the court that the complainant slipped on the pavement and one of the boys punched him on the shoulder, he then fell to the ground and another boy jumped on him.

Mr. Wolffe said another car full of youths chased after the complainant?s friend who ?made good his escape?. However, the people that chased him are ?still at large?, he told the court.

After the first assault, the complainant was walking around looking for his friend when he ran into the defendant and his friends again, the court heard.

Once more, the youths got out of the car and chased the complainant, whom they tripped up and hit with a weapon.

The court heard that witnesses told the youths to leave the boy alone and they later ran off.

The complainant was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he received several stitches to a gash on his face. He also had numerous bruises all over his body, the court heard.

Witnesses reported the car?s licence plate number to Police, who later pulled over the defendant and searched the vehicle. Black ski masks, a PVC pipe, and a white T-shirt with blood on it were found in a plastic bag in the car.

Mr. Wolffe told the court that the defendant initially denied the charge but later admitted to kicking the complainant.

The defendant allegedly told the Police he and his friends had come to town looking for others to beat up.

Mr. Wolffe said: ?It appears they assaulted him (complainant) because he was gay.?

The maximum sentence in Supreme Court for the offence is ten years imprisonment, the court heard.

Magistrate Tyrone Chin asked the defendant, who was unrepresented, if he had anything to say, he mumbled: ?Nothing.?

After a brief pause he added: ?He wasn?t chased twice ? just once. I didn?t hit him in his face, I already told you what I did to him.?

Mr. Chin then asked the defendant?s mother if she had anything to say.

She said: ?He has a curfew. I was at home waiting for him. It is not in his nature to do this.?

The mother told the court that she had a good friend that is gay and told her son about him and how gays are like anyone else in the community. ?They are good people?, she said. ?I am hurt by this and I don?t understand it.?

Mr. Chin remanded the accused in custody until mention dates on June 29 and July 13.

A pre-sentence or social inquiry report is to be conducted in the meantime. Mr. Chin said: ?I do not think he understands the seriousness of this.?

He pointed out that the defendant did not abide by his mother?s set curfew for him. Mr. Chin made a note that the defendant will be able to sit his exams while on remand.