Shoppers watched in horror as a teenage thug smashed a bottle into his rival’s skull as gangs “kicked off” in Canterbury city centre.

The fracas unfolded near the clocktower in the high street amid a recent rise in violent and antisocial crime.

Louie Newman, then 18, had been arguing with a large group of teens outside Halifax bank before tossing the weapon to his accomplice James Beaumont.

Beaumont, who was also 18, then smashed the glass over a rival’s head. Police descended on the scene, causing the gathering to disperse.

A judge told Beaumont at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday(Jan4) his group had behaved like “schoolchildren” inside a playground but with “adult bodies,” during the assault in May 2021.

Judge Rupert Lowe said “a lot of members of the public were about,” adding: “Seeing you break a bottle over the head of another lad is extremely alarming and extremely serious.”

Describing the violence, Judge Lowe said: “Mr Newman, continuing the argument with increased vigour, started throwing the first blows.

“But he had a number of friends there he knew and as it kicked off you stepped in and used the weapon, the glass bottle, by smashing it on the back of one of the lads' heads.”

The court heard Newman, now 19 and who comes from the city, pleaded guilty to affray at the first opportunity at magistrates court.

He was handed a community order and must carry out 50 hours of unpaid work.

Beaumont, now 20, admitted affray with the use of a glass bottle as a weapon the day before trial on Wednesday.

His violent actions in Canterbury came about nine months before he stamped on a defenceless man’s head in a separate street attack in Ramsgate after binging on drink and drugs.

The thug was locked up at the same court last May for inflicting a broken nose, fractured finger and suspected broken eye-socket on Lewis Gordon in King Street, on the evening of February 12.

During the ordeal, Beaumont’s unidentified pal pursued an intoxicated Mr Gordon and kicked him in the face, causing him to fall.

Seeking refuge, Mr Gordon retreated and sat in the doorway of Courts Pharmacy as the suspect gestured aggressively in pursuit, prompting two witnesses to intervene.

Suddenly, Beaumont ran at speed and launched a string of punches and a single stamp to Mr Gordon’s head in the cowardly attack.

He was ordered to serve three years detention at a young offenders' institution, meaning he was due for half-way release in April this year.

But Judge Lowe handed Beaumont, of Lancaster Road, a further eight months starting on Wednesday, meaning he will spend about another month in custody.

Mitigating, Honor Fitzgerald highlighted Beaumont was 18 at the time of the affray.

She said he was preyed upon and joined a county lines gang after suffering a traumatic childhood and growing up in care.

It comes as figures last year showed while overall crime across the Canterbury district fell slightly in the year up to September, certain types rose significantly.

Violent incidents soared by 7% while public order offences were up 5%, criminal damage and arson up 6%, and sexual offences also rose by 8%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).