Soldier jailed for six years over race attack

A SOLDIER has been jailed for six years for an unprovoked and racially-motivated attack which left a teenager severely brain-damaged.

Ashley Dacosta, 20, punched 15-year-old Mo Bourner as he walked home from a beach party along Bexhill seafront during the early hours of October 29 last year.

He was later recorded making racist comments about Mo and the attack at his barracks in Windsor, Sussex Police said.

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During the attack in De La Warr Parade, Mo hit his head on a car as he fell to the ground which had “devastating consequences” for the teenager, Sussex Police said.

Dacosta, who is from Bexhill, East Sussex, but was based at Victoria Barracks, Windsor, at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty in June to racially motivated grievous bodily harm against Mo.

He and another man, Jack Carrick, 25, of Manor Road, Bexhill, both denied perverting the course of justice in connection with the attack but were found guilty last week following an eight-day trial at Hove Crown Court, police said. Carrick was jailed for two years.

Judge Charles Kemp told Dacosta as he sentenced him at Hove Crown Court today that nothing he did would be a comfort to Mo or his family as the teenager would never be able to lead an independent life.

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He said: “On the night of the beach party before you delivered the punch that left Mo with catastrophic brain injuries you were seen to be drunk, aggressive and abusive towards other young teenagers.

“Then recordings in your barracks revealed racist and repugnant comments that proved your attack on Mo was racially motivated.”

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Sloan, who led the investigation, said: “Nine months on from this senseless act we hope that the justice laid down will bring some relief to Mo and his family who have been in our thoughts throughout this complex investigation.

“Mo, a vivacious teenager was struck down in an unprovoked attack on his way home from a beach party. He has made significant progress but he how lives with serious life changing injuries.

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“His courage and that of his parents, Peter and Rhama Bourner, has been immeasurable as they have encouraged witnesses to come speak up about what happened that night.

“I cannot thank people enough for bravely coming forward to tell us what they saw and heard before, during and after the assault. We gave our utmost assurance that the information they gave – in a variety of ways – would be in the strictest confidence.”

Mo’s family thanked Sussex Police for their “tireless hard work”.

A family statement said: “Ashley Dacosta handed our son, Mo, a sentence of pain, frustration and anger for the rest of his life. Any length of sentencing seems lenient but our hope is that it will keep Ashley Dacosta from committing such a despicable crime again.

“We are relieved such a dangerous individual is no longer on our streets.”

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