Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
TEENS ON TRIAL
German student likely beaten with 'bag of bricks', court hears Jury told group were subjected to Nazi salute before violence erupted Attackers allegedly 'bragged and laughed' after leaving teen lifeless
A young German student left fighting for his life after being attacked in a city centre was likely beaten with a “bag of bricks”, a jury has been told Defenceless Daniel Ezzedine - then aged 17 - was then kicked full force in the head as he lay motionless on the ground, causing “his body to recoil”, Canterbury Crown Court heard.
Luke Fogarolli, 18, and a 17-year-old boy - alongside other teenagers - then fled the scene in Rose Lane, Canterbury, “laughing and bragging” on the evening of June 6 last year, say prosecutors. The crown argues the 17-year-old dealt the blow with the bag before Fogarolli ran and kicked Mr Ezzedine in the head.
Both suspects claim they were acting in self-defence - their cases are yet to be heard. A further eight teenagers will face the court next year as Mr Ezzedine, who suffered life-changing injuries, continues his path to rehabilitation. Prosecutor Simon Taylor told the jury Mr Ezzedine, now aged 18, needed part of his brain removed in an emergency operation.
“As a consequence of the assault Daniel Ezzedine sustained an injury which required emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain,” he said.
“Although the surgery saved his life, tragically he sustained extensive damage to his brain and had to have some of the left side of it removed. “Over a year after the attack he suffers significant neurological impairment and it is unlikely that he will make anything like a full recovery from the life-changing injuries he sustained.
“Due to his injuries, we will not be hearing from Daniel Ezzedine.”
The court heard two days of simmering tension boiled over between Mr Ezzedine’s friends and Fogarolli’s group, erupting in violence.
On June 4, the two groups clashed in St George’s Street outside Mcdonald’s. Words were exchanged, and a 15-yearold boy barged into one of the
German students. “Now, it would seem that this relatively minor incident two days before the assault, caused a degree of animosity that led to the attack that forms the basis of this trial,” Mr Taylor explained. Another flare-up occurred when the groups crossed paths just after 5pm in Canterbury city centre two days later, the court heard.
The 17-year-old defendant then sent a Snapchat message
saying “Beef in Canterbury city centre - who’s backing it then asap,” it is alleged. With another defendant performing a Nazi salute, Fogarolli and the 17-year appeared to attempt to arm themselves, Mr Taylor explained. “(They) are seen to go over to a tree in the city centre and appear to stamp on the bricks in order to pick them up and put them in the bag to use as a weapon,” he said. Unsuccessful, the duo walked from the watchful eye of CCTV sight into Iron Bar Lane, the jury was told. “When the 17-year-old re-emerges he is looking at his bag. “The Crown say this is the likely location where the defendant filled his bag with bricks or some other heavy object in advance of the attack,” he said.
Both parties became embroiled in a skirmish in Rose Lane, where the situation intensified at about 6pm the court heard.
Mr Taylor told how Mr Ezzedine kicked out at one of the group, but was pulled to
‘Such was the force of the blow that Mr Ezzedine’s head hit his left shoulder - he then immediately fell to the floor and stopped moving’
the ground.
“Such was the force of the blow that Mr Ezzedine’s head hit his left shoulder - he then immediately fell to the floor and stopped moving.
“Mr Ezzedine was then on the floor in a half sitting position. It was at this stage the 17-yearold swung his bag up and over his shoulder and hit Daniel to the right side of the head,” he said.
“Such was the force of the blow that Mr Ezzedine’s head hit his left shoulder - he then immediately fell to the floor and stopped moving.
“Mr Fogarolli then ran from way over to the right of the group and dealt a full force kick to Mr Ezzedine’s head. “The force of this blow was such as to cause his body to recoil.”
CCTV footage played in court showed Mr Ezzedine trying to get to his feet when the blow with the bag knocked him down.
He did not seem to move until Fogarolli delivered a kick, causing his body to flinch. As passers-by rushed to Mr Ezzedine’s aid the group dispersed.
“By the time these two defendants attacked him he was offering no threat whatsoever, but the 17-year-old struck him with a bag and Luke Fogarolli followed up with a kick. “They simply left the scene, bragging and laughing as they did so,” Mr Taylor said. Six suspects would soon be heard on CCTV “shouting, yelling, whooping and saying the word ‘brick’” outside the cycle shop between Stour Street and Greyfriars, Mr Taylor added. One member then appeared
to discard a weapon into the river - believed to be stolen from Poundland before the attack, the barrister said. Both defendants gave no comment interviews following their arrest; however, Fogarolli, of Sturry Road, admitted violent disorder at a previous court hearing. The 17-year
old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to causing wounding with intent and violent disorder.
Fogarolli also denies wounding with intent.
The other eight suspects are due to appear in court at a later date.