TWO thugs involved in a racist bottle attack on a Korean student have had their court sentences referred for being “unduly lenient”.

Louis Barrett, 19, and Bradley Garrett, 20, carried out the “unprovoked and cowardly” attack on Yehsung Kim with a champagne bottle in Brighton.

Barrett created a “febrile atmosphere of hatred and aggression” using racist gestures and throwing a bottle at Mr Kim.

Garrett then smashed a bottle into Mr Kim’s face, which was caught in a video which shocked the community.

Mr Kim, a former University of Sussex student, said he still had nightmares about the attack and needed dental surgery worth thousands of pounds.

Barrett was aged 17 while Garrett was 15 at the time of the incident in October 2017.

They had been with friends, and Lewes Crown Court heard how there had been a disturbance at a Japanese restaurant near North Street.

Mr Kim, who was walking home with friends, faced racist gestures. Barrett hurled a bottle at him and missed and when Mr Kim asked why he had been targeted, Barrett said: “Because you are a f****** Asian.”

They appeared in court last autumn, where Barrett was jailed for 20 months for racist harassment and racist common assault.

Garrett meanwhile was given a two-year suspended prison sentence for attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Judge Stephen Mooney said that because the case had taken so long to come to court he had to take some time off the sentence for both youngsters.

The judge said: “This was an unprovoked, wholly unexpected, cowardly and vicious attack.

“Mr Barrett, you created the febrile atmosphere of hatred and aggression.

“Yours was not the significant act of violence but your actions and words created the situation.

“Mr Garrett you were swept along by the language of your co-accused and lashed out with a bottle causing most unpleasant injuries.

“Be under no illusion, if I see you again, for breach of your suspended sentence or new offences you will be going directly to prison.”

But concerned members of the public referred the sentence to the Attorney General for being too lenient.

The case is currently “under consideration”.

Now the Attorney General will review whether Judge Mooney’s decision was not tough enough.

Barrett, of Temple Grove, Burgess Hill, is currently still serving his prison sentence.

Meanwhile Garrett, of Pierces Lane, Haywards Heath, is on a suspended sentence.