Two teenagers will appear before youth court after an assault in Witham.

The two boys, both aged 16, were arrested on June 10 in connection with a video circulating on social media.

Both have been charged with the assault of a 13-year-old boy.

They appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday where they did not enter a plea.

They have been released on conditional bail until June 22, when they will appear before Chelmsford Youth Court.

Sharon Hall, prosecuting, said: “There is disproportion in the age between them and their victim who is 13 years old.

“It sounds as though the victim was at Maldon Road Park, one of the defendant’s girlfriends calls him to make an allegation about the victim.

“The victim is punched to the ground and then he punches him a number of times and kicks his back, all over his body and there are particularly severe kicks to the head.

“It lasts around a minute, the victim is on the ground cowered in a ball in the foetal position trying to defend himself and offers no retaliation.

“One of the defendants is recording it on his phone and saying: ‘C’mon, he ain’t had enough, don’t let him run.

“There are a number of other people around at the time, I can hear two females saying: ‘That’s enough.’

“Fortunately the victim was able to get up and run away, he sustained numerous cuts and bruises, a black eye and bruising to various parts of his body, particularly to his head.

“It was a planned, premeditated matter.

“Because the video has been uploaded to Facebook there have also been comments directed towards one of the defendants.

“The video has been viewed 374,000 times with comments suggesting the defendant deserves a beating.”