A schoolboy has been convicted for holding back a 13-year-old while his brother stabbed him in the face with a broken bottle.

The teenager from Redbridge, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of committing grievous bodily harm without intent at Romford Youth Court yesterday.

On May 23 he was part of a melee in Baywood Square, Hainault, that resulted in another boy being stabbed above the right eyebrow with a broken bottle while the defendant held him from behind around the neck.

The defendant’s brother had already confessed to carrying out the attack and pleaded guilty to a charge of GBH.

The victim told the court that he only intervened to help his friend after the other boys dragged him to the ground and began to hit him.

“Suddenly someone had me around the neck, and two other people held my arms, then [the defendant’s brother] jumped and suddenly there was blood flowing over my face,” he told the magistrates.

He also claimed that after being wounded he was told: “Don’t snitch me to the police or I’ll beat you again” by one of the brothers.

Prosecutor Paul Roach maintained that the incident had been a planned “sneak attack”, and questioned the credibility of the defendant’s testimony when he was unable to name any of the 50 people he claimed to have been in the crowd.

In court the accused teenager, who appeared with his mother, alleged that the fight had been organised by two other schoolboys, and that he and his brother had only gotten involved after the victim elbowed him in the stomach.

He also maintained that at no point during the fight had he ever grabbed or punched the victim, and that he had not been aware his brother had the bottle.

The victim was sent to King George Hospital in Goodmayes before being told he needed more specialist treatment and being transferred to Queen’s Hospital, where police officers took his statement.

He received stitches for two separate injuries, a 1cm laceration to his forehead and a 2.5cm cut just above his eyebrow.

Delivering his verdict, Magistrate Keysell said he had no reason to doubt the testimony of the victim, but that inconsistencies in the defendant’s testimony could not be ignored.

“We do not find your version of events credible but we have taken into account your good character,” he told the defendant.

The teenager was granted bail on the condition he make no attempt to contact the victim and will appear for sentencing at Barkingside Magistrate’s Court on December 19.

Pick up a copy of this week’s Ilford Recorder, on sale tomorrow, for the full report.