An unemployed man has appeared in court charged over a fight which led to the death of an Arab student in Hastings.

Mohammed al-Majed, 16, from Qatar, died two days after suffering a serious head injury when he hit the pavement during an argument in August.

Paul Rockett, 20, was granted bail after entering no plea to a charge of racially aggravated common assault when he appeared at Hastings Magistrates’ Court.

The charge relates to an incident involving one of the people Mohammed was with outside the USA Fried Chicken and Kebab House in the town centre. Rockett, of Ham Lane, Burwash, near Heathfield, will appear at the same court for a committal hearing on November 26.

A second man has also been charged in connection with events leading up to Mohammed’s death.

Alexander Quinn, 18, is charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in connection with an assault on one of Mohammed’s friends.

Quinn, of Mountbatten Close, Hastings, had appeared at Eastbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 29 and was granted conditional bail to appear at Lewes Crown Court on January 23. The charges do not specifically relate to the death of Mohammed but to a series of events which took place leading up to Mohammed becoming injured.

Mohammed was with friends when a row broke out with a group of people on August 22.

Sussex Police announced yesterday that most witnesses had been traced.

Detective Chief Inspector Trevor Bowles, of the force’s major crime branch, said the inquiry continued to yield vital information.

He said: “There has, as you would expect, been extensive and painstaking examination of CCTV cameras in the immediate area of the kebab hut and other areas of Hastings town centre.

“This has been necessary to place the relevant individuals at various locations in Hastings that night. This is helping to build a picture of their actions and behaviour throughout that night and hopefully assist in making any identification of these easier. It is also important, not least, in an attempt to identify other potential witnesses. However, we believe that most, if not all, of the witnesses have been traced.”