Worksop duo face crown court for seriously assaulting vulnerable teen

Maks Meisner, 19, of Queen Elizabeth Crescent, Rhodesia, and Logan Smith, 19, of Harebell Grove, Costhorpe, both admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm when they appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Lucy Woodcock, prosecuting, said the pre-planned attack, which happened on September 5 last year, had been arranged via a third party and consisted of multiple punches and stamps to the head.

"On the Crown's version of events we place it in category A1 which gives the court a starting point of 18 months in custody," she said.

"Both the defendants have pleaded guilty on a basis and dispute the pre-planned nature of the attack."

She said the seriousness of the offence placed it beyond the magistrates' powers of sentencing and it should be committed to the crown court.

Nichola Thorpe, mitigating, said Meisner accepted seeing the complainant in the park and punching him two or three times before kicking him.

"He had been having some trouble with the complainant over the previous months," she said.

Smith's solicitor said the basis of her client’s guilty plea would also reduce the categorisation of seriousness.

“He had been hanging around with the complainant and walking across the park,” she said.

“He accepted kicking him once in the face. He enters a guilty plea on that basis.”

The pair were granted bail to appear at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on July 15, on condition they have no contact with each other or their victim.