Bexhill soldier admits attacking teenage boy

ATTACKED: Mo Bourner ATTACKED: Mo Bourner

A soldier has admitted nearly killing a teenager in a racist attack.

Former Sussex school pupil Ashley Dacosta changed his plea at the 11th hour and confessed to punching Mo Bourner.

The 20-year-old guardsman had previously denied attacking Mo as he walked home from a beach bonfire in October last year.

Mo was 15 when he was attacked in Da La Warr Parade in Bexhill, with friends on October 29.

Dacosta, who previously attended Bexhill High School, called Mo over.

It is believed Dacosta said: “Oi boy come over here – you need someone to teach you a lesson” before punching him once in the face.

Mo fell against a parked car, hitting his head on the pavement and was left in a coma, with doctors and police fearing he would die.

He was taken to hospital and then onto specialist brain injury hospital Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath.

At the time Sussex Police said they did not know if Mo would live. He was not breathing for himself and 90% of his brain was damaged.

A major appeal was launched for information about Mo’s attacker.

In a rare move police set up at a Facebook page where teens could report information in a way they felt comfortable.

A Crimewatch reconstruction also took place and by Christmas last year Mo, who used to attend Bexhill High School, had uttered a few words.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman yesterday said: “Ashley Dacosta, 20, appeared at Hove Crown Court and pleaded guilty to racially-motivated grievous bodily harm against teenager, Mo Bourner, last October.”

Mo, who is receiving intensive therapy at Tabworth Court in Surrey, was at his father Peter Bourner’s home in Hooe, near Hastings at the weekend.

Mr Bourner said he was pleased Dacosta, who is in custody, had admitted the attack.

He said: “We are pleased that Dacosta admitted the attack on Mo.

“He is doing really well and is home today. After his sentencing we can start to move on.”

On Monday, July 16, Dacosta, whose last address was given as Silvester Road, Bexhill, is due to appear at Hove Crown Court along with Jack Carrick, 25, of Manor Road, Bexhill. They have both been charged with perverting the course of justice, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

Carrick was bailed until his crown court appearance.

Comments(20)

Ligand Fields says...
2:11pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Our troops seem to do this kind of thing fairly regularly to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and when they were in Iraq. Rarely do they get charged with GBH though - usually the MoD tries a whitewash instead.

Fercri Sakes says...
2:39pm Tue 10 Jul 12

This nutjob's actions will cost this country about £5m.

I wonder what's to blame? His upbringing? His army training? His experiences in battle (if he ever was in battle)? Pure racism? Lack of self-asteem? Or just being a psychopath?

Unfortunately there's plenty more Ashley Dacostas out there walking the streets.

Thetruth666 says...
3:57pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Ligand Fields.Regards your comment "Our troops seem to do this kind of thing fairly regularly to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and when they were in Iraq".Do you have experience of such behaviour?Y uo use the action of one person in the case who happens to be in the forces to take a pop at the brave soldiers who risks their lives daily.Have you ever served in a war zone or seen first hand the life changing injuries they suffer?What this lad did is awful and totally wrong.To tar those serving their country with the same brush is a disgrace.Well done on your brave comments from the safety of your keyboard.Rarely does a comment on here get me this angry.How dare you make such a sweeping statement.Only recently a serving soldier from Sussex was killed in Afghanistan.Do you include him in this pathetic rant?

voiceofthescoombe says...
4:17pm Tue 10 Jul 12

The woodentop cretin thought he was just going to give a coloured lad a slap because he was a drunken racist scumbag.
The fall and hitting the pavement did the damage.
Although education probably wont help as dont punch people in the street isnt going to reach the sort of idiot who punches people.

Ligand Fields says...
4:40pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Thetruth666 wrote:
Ligand Fields.Regards your comment "Our troops seem to do this kind of thing fairly regularly to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and when they were in Iraq".Do you have experience of such behaviour?Y uo use the action of one person in the case who happens to be in the forces to take a pop at the brave soldiers who risks their lives daily.Have you ever served in a war zone or seen first hand the life changing injuries they suffer?What this lad did is awful and totally wrong.To tar those serving their country with the same brush is a disgrace.Well done on your brave comments from the safety of your keyboard.Rarely does a comment on here get me this angry.How dare you make such a sweeping statement.Only recently a serving soldier from Sussex was killed in Afghanistan.Do you include him in this pathetic rant?
Are you sure your name wouldn't be better changed to "TheLies666"? The appalling conduct of our troops against innocent civilians has gone all the way through the courts in public, you must've had your head stuck in a bin not to be aware of it. Try this article for a taster http://www.guardian.
co.uk/world/2011/sep
/08/baha-mousa-repor
t-british-soldiers
Funny how the International Criminal Court likes to focus on prosecuting black Africans but never any of the western powers...

Gordtheganjaman says...
5:00pm Tue 10 Jul 12

so because the boy was black and the attacker was white, it automatically changes to a racist thing! what would happen if a black guy was the attacker? would it then be a racist thing? i think not!! the law is always on the black side

Drivel says...
5:00pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Help for heroes anyone?

Drivel says...
5:00pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Help for heroes anyone?

Dr.Draconian says...
5:41pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Saying soldiers are racist thugs is like saying black men are muggers.
Ignorance is not bliss.

GIVE UP says...
6:28pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Gordtheganjaman wrote:
so because the boy was black and the attacker was white, it automatically changes to a racist thing! what would happen if a black guy was the attacker? would it then be a racist thing? i think not!! the law is always on the black side
He pleaded guilty and now he has to explain he, a trained soldier of 20 years of age needed to show how tough he was by punching a 15 year old school boy

Ligand Fields says...
7:04pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Drivel wrote:
Help for heroes anyone?
Aren't Help for Heroes a front for the EDL?

Cyril Bolleaux says...
7:15pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Thetruth666 wrote:
Ligand Fields.Regards your comment "Our troops seem to do this kind of thing fairly regularly to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and when they were in Iraq".Do you have experience of such behaviour?Y uo use the action of one person in the case who happens to be in the forces to take a pop at the brave soldiers who risks their lives daily.Have you ever served in a war zone or seen first hand the life changing injuries they suffer?What this lad did is awful and totally wrong.To tar those serving their country with the same brush is a disgrace.Well done on your brave comments from the safety of your keyboard.Rarely does a comment on here get me this angry.How dare you make such a sweeping statement.Only recently a serving soldier from Sussex was killed in Afghanistan.Do you include him in this pathetic rant?
You must ignore Ligand Fields. He is a troll who makes sick comments on everything. Don't let him upset you.

Spx says...
7:37pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Pick up the soap Dacosta! Get well soon Mo! At first I thought Ligand Fields was Ambumgay after a pill! Now I think he's a breath of fresh air! !

mimseycal says...
9:36pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Well, it could well be that Dacosta was ready to punch any 15 year old boy. He however picked on a racially mixed schoolboy.
He may well have intended just to give the lad a slap. Well, the result of the slap was severe brain damage, 80% in fact, due to the force of the blow which caused this lad to hit the pavement with some force.

I'm glad that he has had the decency to change his plea to guilty. I fear it may well be that he has only done so as the case against him is so strong that he would have looked at a far tougher sentence had he sought to deny it.

I've been on active front-line duty in a war-zone. No one who has not experienced it can have any idea of what it is like and the scars it leaves on the psyche.

However not every veteran turns into a loose cannon when they return to civvy street.

Being a veteran is no excuse nor should it ever be used as mitigation for the type of behaviour Dacosta has displayed.

Gordtheganjaman says...
4:40pm Wed 11 Jul 12

GIVE UP wrote:
Gordtheganjaman wrote:
so because the boy was black and the attacker was white, it automatically changes to a racist thing! what would happen if a black guy was the attacker? would it then be a racist thing? i think not!! the law is always on the black side
He pleaded guilty and now he has to explain he, a trained soldier of 20 years of age needed to show how tough he was by punching a 15 year old school boy
so coz the paper say he admitted it to being a racist attack you all believe it? did you ever think the paper wrote it to get more readers? its wrong he punched a 15 year old boy, but know one knows whether it was racially provoked! look at all the foreign gangs stalking and attacking little white girls thats not a racial attack its a sex attack but if a white man did it he would get done for racial sex attacking!!

mimseycal says...
5:22pm Wed 11 Jul 12

Gordtheganjaman wrote:
GIVE UP wrote:
Gordtheganjaman wrote:
so because the boy was black and the attacker was white, it automatically changes to a racist thing! what would happen if a black guy was the attacker? would it then be a racist thing? i think not!! the law is always on the black side
He pleaded guilty and now he has to explain he, a trained soldier of 20 years of age needed to show how tough he was by punching a 15 year old school boy
so coz the paper say he admitted it to being a racist attack you all believe it? did you ever think the paper wrote it to get more readers? its wrong he punched a 15 year old boy, but know one knows whether it was racially provoked! look at all the foreign gangs stalking and attacking little white girls thats not a racial attack its a sex attack but if a white man did it he would get done for racial sex attacking!!
Gordtheganjaman, give it up mate. You obviously have an agenda, judging by the content of your post.

D360 says...
7:29pm Wed 11 Jul 12

He pled guilty to racially motivated GBH. When even the defendant admits its racially motivated its fair to say it probably was.

For anyone that hasnt noticed Ligand fields is a troll. If you ignor a troll it gets board and crawls back under its bridge

Gordtheganjaman says...
9:56am Thu 12 Jul 12

mimseycal wrote:
Gordtheganjaman wrote:
GIVE UP wrote:
Gordtheganjaman wrote:
so because the boy was black and the attacker was white, it automatically changes to a racist thing! what would happen if a black guy was the attacker? would it then be a racist thing? i think not!! the law is always on the black side
He pleaded guilty and now he has to explain he, a trained soldier of 20 years of age needed to show how tough he was by punching a 15 year old school boy
so coz the paper say he admitted it to being a racist attack you all believe it? did you ever think the paper wrote it to get more readers? its wrong he punched a 15 year old boy, but know one knows whether it was racially provoked! look at all the foreign gangs stalking and attacking little white girls thats not a racial attack its a sex attack but if a white man did it he would get done for racial sex attacking!!
Gordtheganjaman, give it up mate. You obviously have an agenda, judging by the content of your post.
not at all, its just annoying as soon as another ethnic origin is attacked its automatically racially motivated!! the law is pony, and everyone use's race against everything!

mimseycal says...
10:19am Thu 12 Jul 12

No Gordtheganjaman, ethnic and racial differences are a fact of life. They also, sadly, constitute a motivation in some instances. That is not something that can be ignored to avoid certain individuals claiming justification for their xenophobic/racist/su
premacist tainted world view.

Gordtheganjaman says...
10:10am Fri 13 Jul 12

mimseycal wrote:
No Gordtheganjaman, ethnic and racial differences are a fact of life. They also, sadly, constitute a motivation in some instances. That is not something that can be ignored to avoid certain individuals claiming justification for their xenophobic/racist/su

premacist tainted world view.
i understand that but its not always motivated by there race or ethnicity, but everyone says its racially motivated as soon as a foreign person is injured by a white british person! what happens when its the other way round its a totally different story!!

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