A teenage thug carved a skull into the chest of another boy during a “thoroughly ugly” gang attack.

Gary Aiken, pictured, was the ringleader of a gang from Crawley, inspired by the superhero film Suicide Squad, who tortured and branded the boy in the attack during a terrifying camping trip.

Aiken, 18, of Martyrs Avenue, and friends Luke Decourcy-Harrison, 17, of Clive Way, and Hannah Law, 17, of Spartan Way, kicked and punched their 15-year-old victim, poured vodka into his wounds and poked him with burning sticks on the sick camping trip during the August Bank Holiday in 2016.

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting, said: “Aiken sat on the young man, pulled out a kitchen knife and referred to the Suicide Squad. He told the boy he wasn’t going to kill him, just hurt him badly, and used the torture and described it as a branding.”

A game of truth or dare in Tilgate Woods turned ugly, with a volley of blows lasting several minutes.

Sean How, 17, of Newark Road, Daniel Farr, 18, now of Lowestoft, and a 17-year-old girl who cannot be named for legal reasons all also admitted assault for their parts in attack.

Judge Charles Kemp told the youths the gang attack was “thoroughly ugly”, “disgusting and disgraceful”.

Aiken, Law, and Decourcy-Harrison were on bail at the time of the attack for an earlier assault on another boy during the previous bank holiday weekend in May.

During the earlier attack the trio along with Menel Djevdet, 17, of Ivanhoe Close, Cameron Gittins, 16, of Ditchling Hill, and Kai Gasson, 16, of Atkinson Road, all Crawley, tried to extort money from a 14-year-old boy at a fairground.

In an attack described by the judge as “degrading” and “cowardly”, the group then dragged their victim into a nearby field at Tilgate Park, Crawley.

They told the boy to remove his bag and hand over his phone, which they smashed, before taking £15 off him.

They asked the boy how it would feel if the group were to break his ankle, and then they put a stick in his mouth. The boy was also burned with cigarettes.

In the end they made him crawl on the floor back to the fairground, ordering the boy to kiss and lick their shoes.

At Lewes Crown Court yesterday Gary Aiken admitted causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm and was sentenced to five years in a young offenders’ institution.

Law, 17, admitted blackmail and two counts of assault and was sentenced to two years at a mother and baby unit.

Luke Decourcy-Harrison admitted two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and blackmail and was sentenced to two years detention, with the first half in custody, the second half in training.

Gittins, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced to a one-year youth referral order and 80 hours unpaid work.

Farr admitted actual bodily harm and was given a one-year youth referral order and 80 hours unpaid work.

Djevdet, 17, of Ivanhoe Close, admitted actual bodily harm and was given a one-year youth referral order and 80 hours unpaid work.

How, 17, of Newark Road, Crawley, admitted actual bodily harm 18 months supervision year. The unnamed girl admitted actual bodily harm and was sentenced to a youth referral order and 80 hours’ unpaid work.