Two teenagers have been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm in a row over a takeaway pizza.

Paul Cruden and Matthew Tanner, both 19, were convicted after a five-day trial at Lewes Crown Court.

The pair launched a furious assault on Steven Moss, 20, who suffered a triple fracture of the jaw and needed two operations after the incident in Western Road, Hailsham, on April 30 last year.

Mr Moss and some friends had spent the evening at the Hailsham Memorial Institute and were walking home with a takeaway pizza when they were attacked by Cruden and Tanner. The court heard Mr Moss was punched and repeatedly kicked in the head. When his friend Jonathan Cooley, 20, intervened, he was punched in the face.

Cruden, of Dacre Park, Hailsham, and Tanner, of Greenacres Drive, Hailsham, had denied inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Moss. Cruden was cleared of a charge of causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Cooley said he was walking with Mr Moss and their friend David Southall. He said: "We left the club at about 12am and Dave bought a large pizza. There were a large number of people standing outside the Institute. They started asking if they could have some pizza. Obviously, Dave did not want to give any more of his pizza away."

Mr Cooley said: "Most of the group were quiet but one of them seemed to shout whenever I said anything. He was very aggressive. I turned round and began making my way back to the house with Steve and Dave.

"I heard footsteps and said to Dave, 'Make sure Steve's OK.' There were three people running at something on the ground and pulling back. As I went to the wall I saw Steve unconscious, curled up in the foetal position, and there were people running in and kicking him in the head.

"I thought Steve was very seriously injured. I said: "I am a first-aider. He has been hurt. I am going to attend to him. They backed away a little bit, so I assumed they had heard. As I looked down, somebody hit me on the top of my nose and it went crunch."

Recorder Nicholas Joy adjourned sentences until April 14 for reports and the pair were remanded in custody.

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