Two teenagers said they had been “disgraced” by a video showing them brutally attacking a 15-year-old boy in Raphael Park woods.
One of the boys said he had received death threats after shocking footage of the assault went viral last month.
The 17-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to GBH at Barkingside Magistrates Court this morning.
At the hearing it was revealed one of the boys volunteers at a charity which works with young people.
One of the pair, who was filmed kicking the victim, told the court: “I really am very remorseful for it. I know there is no reason why I should have done that, it was disgusting.
“Since then I have changed. All of the media attention and death threats have really changed me.
“As soon as it happened I regretted it. I didn’t know why I did it.
“I am disgraced and have let all of my family down.”
His sentencing was adjourned until November 9.
In July, the victim and his friends went to the park to buy cannabis and met the defendants who they didn’t know, the court heard.
The group then followed the defendants into the woods where the victim answered a phone call which he then put on speakerphone.
The person on the other end of the call asked the 15-year-old where his money was and when he did not reply, he said “smack him”, instigating the attack.
The second defendant did not throw any kicks or punches during the attack, but made verbal threats and was tried under joint enterprise law.
He told the court: “I am really sorry for what I did. What I did was quite bad and I am sorry.”
He was given a 12-month referral order.
The mother of the second defendant told the court she “did not raise him to behave the way he did”.
“It was quite a shock to see and I am not going to excuse his behaviour,” she said.
“It is quite shameful that he acted the way he did.
“I don’t believe any child should grow up in fear of going through the park.”
Footage of the attack, which happened in the park in Main Road, Romford, prompted a raft of celebrities to speak out against bullying.
BBC presenter Jeremy Vine wrote an emotional letter to the victim, revealing his own struggle with bullies as a teenager.
And thousands was raised for anti-bullying charities by a group called Bradford Boyz in response to the video.
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