KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — The 17-year-old accused of attacking Ashraf Haziq Rossli in last August’s London riots denied yesterday breaking his jaw but said he was ashamed of stealing the Malaysian student’s bicycle.
According to the Guardian, the teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, told the court he had taken the bicycle because he was “tired” but insisted that witnesses were wrong in saying that the person who punched Ashraf also stole his bike.
“When I watched the footage in interview I was very, very ashamed of myself,” he was quoted as saying by the United Kingdom daily.
Ashraf, 20, had been in London for just a month when his jaw was broken in two places after he was assaulted during the riots.
He became the unwitting symbol of the riots which saw looting and at least five deaths, 16 injuries and 3,000 arrests.
Footage of a mob surrounding Ashraf was posted on video-sharing site YouTube, resulting in British wellwishers pledging thousands of pounds in aid to the 20-year-old.
According to the YouTube footage, other youths seemingly acted as if they were helping Ashraf, while one of them opened his rucksack and removed several items.
Ashraf, who has two metal plates in his jaw, was eventually helped by members of the public and treated in hospital.
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