Nathan Esslemont, who was injured in a homophobic attack on Golden Jubilee Bridge on August 17
(Picture: Nathan Esslemont)A man stripped and beaten in a vicious homophobic assault says he is “appalled” his attackers have avoided jail - and is demanding justice.
Nathan Esslemont, 25, and a friend were targeted by a gang of five teens as they crossed the Golden Jubilee Bridge near Embankment and London’s South Bank in the early hours of August 17.
Nathan previously told the Standard “I honestly thought I was going to die” in the unprovoked attack that saw him punched and repeatedly stamped in the head as he lay bleeding.
After stealing Nathan and his friend’s phones, the gang threw Nathan’s belongings in the Thames, took off items of his clothing and attempted to throw him in the river.
He was left with injuries including a deep gash to his head and required time off work as he grappled with “really dark thoughts”.
Two people - 15-year-old boys from Islington - were arrested over the attack and pleaded guilty to robbery.
At Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on September 21 the boys - who cannot be named for legal reasons - avoided custodial sentences and were instead referred to Islington Youth Offending Panel for a 12-month period.
Their sentence means they must attend five appointments with the panel per week for the first three months.
Nathan was told in emails that these meetings will address areas including “thinking and behaviour, problem solving and consequential thinking” as well as “identity, peer groups” and “victim awareness“.
They are also subject to a three-month curfew from 8pm to 7am, must carry out 30 hours of reparation work, must also undertake a victim awareness programme and are not allowed to contact each other for one year.
Nathan, who lives in Kent and works on Tottenham Court Road, has described the sentences as “a joke”, saying: “I feel absolutely destroyed. Where is my justice?”
“I think it’s appalling,” he told the Standard. “It’s injustice from our own justice system.
“If they can do it to me and get away with it, who’s to say they’re [not] going to do it again and someone’s going to die before anyone gets charged severely?”
Nathan is concerned the teens will reoffend. “The sentence they got - the curfew and these meetings - that’s not going to do anything for these people,” he said.
He has now submitted a complaint to the Met Police over its handling of the case, fearing the court hearing was rushed through.
The defendants were sentenced for robbing Nathan and his friend of items worth about £3,300 including phones, a watch and a jacket.
But Nathan feels they should have received additional charges, to reflect the prolonged violence of the attack.
Meanwhile, because of the defendants’ “limited means”, they were not ordered to pay any victim compensation.
“I’m now having to go see counsellors and things because of this incident, and I’ve been having a really, really horrible time,” said Nathan.
The Met Police acknowledged Nathan’s frustration but said it had gathered strong evidence which led to convictions.
A spokesman said: “We appreciate that the ultimate outcome of cases at court may sometimes be disappointing for victims. Sentencing is a complex exercise which takes into account a number of factors including the role of the defendants, their age, any previous criminal history, the timing of any guilty pleas and information put forward by agencies including social services and probation.
“The sentencing decision is a matter for the courts and is out of the hands of officers.
“The job of officers is to efficiently and thoroughly investigate and to put evidence before the courts. In this case, charges of robbery were secured against two of the group involved. Robbery is a serious offence which can carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The evidence gathered was sufficiently strong that both defendants pleaded guilty at court.”
Probed on whether the Met’s investigation over the assault remains open, the spokesman responded: “We have not yet been able to identify the other people involved in the incident but should any new evidence come to light we will pursue any available lines of enquiry.”
