A girl heading home from a music festival suffered a broken nose after she was attacked by a group of youths, a court has heard.

Prosecutor John Richards told Bolton Crown Court how on August 25, 2019, student Daisy Lyons had been at the Blackrod Fest music festival at Blackrod Cricket Club with her friends and family and was walking home at 10pm.

But as they headed towards Rivington Court flats Abdul Jalloh, who was living there at the time, started shouting abusive comments.

Mr Richards said her friends George Hirst and Joshua Buckley, took offence at the comments but Miss Lyons tried to usher them away.

But when she reached a ginnel at the end of the street she realised another female friend was not with her so turned back to get her.

Jalloh demanded George and Joshua explain why the group had come to “their end”.

Joshua replied, “It’s ok pal” and that they were just getting the girls and would go, but Jalloh told him, “I’m not your pal.”

As the friends walked towards the ginnel they were surrounded on both sides by male youths.

In the ginnel, Zeyn Badat and another male pinned George and Joshua against the fence and Daisy’s sister, who had been spat at, ran towards her crying.

Mr Richards told how Daisy rang for the police and then noticed her boyfriend, George was on the ground.

“Someone had him in a headlock and was smashing his head against a concrete fence post with another male kicking him,” said Mr Richards.

Daisy shouted at them to stop but they turned on her.

As she bent down to help George, Badat kicked her in the face.

“She was falling in and out of consciousness,” said Mr Richards.

“She next remembers waking up and holding her face and stomach and saw her father.”

Badat and the other attackers ran away and Daisy and George were taken to hospital.

Daisy’s nose was broken, she needed stitches and was bruised and the court heard that she is still suffering problems with breathing and headaches and has flashbacks to the attack.

Joshua was punched in the face by Badat during the incident and tried to defend himself but was surrounded by other youths who joined in the attack.

He suffered a black eye and bad back which stopped him playing sports.

George told police how he and his friends had not wanted trouble and he had explained to Badat that Jalloh had been shouting offensive remarks towards the girls but Badat replied: “They’re my boys. Get off my property.”

He was knocked unconscious by Badat’s group in the ginnel and needed treatment in hospital for a burst nose, pain and bruises.

When questioned by police Badat claimed he had tried to act as a peacemaker and had only punched George once.

Jalloh denied being involved in the fight.

Badat, aged 20, of Central Road, Partington, and Jalloh, aged 18, of Stockport, eventually pleaded guilty to affray.

The court heard how Badat and Jalloh both have previous convictions, including for robbery and possessing a knife.

Daniel Calder, defending said that Badat apologises for his behaviour.

“Zeyn Badat is sorry for and is ashamed of his behaviour and he struggles to recognise the person described,” said Mr Calder.

He added that, at the time, Badat was aged 16 and been sent to live in semi-supported accommodation where he ended up being exposed to others who were criminally sophisticated.

Before that time he had never been in trouble with the police.

“It was his move into semi-independent supported living which coincided with him quickly imitating the lifestyle of his new peers in which carrying weapons and the use of violence was considered something of a status symbol,” said Mr Calder.

Mr Calder added that it was ‘regrettable and peculiar’ that the case had been delayed for so long, which meant that Badat missed the opportunity to be tried in a youth court.

Daniel Gasekll, defending Jalloh, said that his client had also made efforts to turn his life around and was “very different at 18 to what he was at 15.”

He said: “He has demonstrated a growing need to change, a motivation to better himself.”

Recorder Simon Hilton ruled accepted that the pair had made efforts to turn their lives around but acknowledged that ‘fear and distress’ they had caused had lasted ‘long after the event.’

He sentenced Badot to 12 months in prison, suspended for three years and ordered him to complete 20 rehabilitation requirement days with 120 hours of unpaid work.

Jalloh was given a nine month sentence, suspended for three years, with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.