A TEENAGER admitted to delivering a cowardly kick' to Henry Webster as he lay on the ground, a court heard yesterday.

Victim Henry Webster, 16, was punched, kicked and smashed repeatedly on the head with a hammer on a tennis court at Ridgeway School in Wroughton.

He suffered multiple skull fractures and still has short-term memory loss and blackouts caused by the resulting brain damage.

The 15-year-old defendant - who cannot be named for legal reasons - admitted kicking Henry as he lay on the floor but said he didn't realise he had been attacked previously.

James Patrick, prosecuting, said: "You say Henry was attacked before you got there?"

The defendant replied: "Yes."

"And you didn't notice any injuries on his head or body, no blood?"

"No," came the reply.

Mr Patrick continued: "But you admitted earlier that you gave him a cowardly kick'. Why did you kick him when he was on the floor?"

The defendant said: "I don't know. I was scared he'd hit me. I wasn't thinking straight. I was angry so I kicked him on his back."

The defendant watched CCTV footage of the incident, which was thought to have sparked the home-time beating on January 11 last year.

The defendant alleged that Henry had barged' into him before swearing and punching him in the face before finally challenging him to a fight in the tennis courts after school.

Mr Patrick pointed out to the jury the door both boys left the school by on the day of the attack.

Speaking to the defendant he said: "You were scared, and yet you went to the very place you were told Henry would be waiting to fight."

"Yes," came the reply.

Mr Patrick continued: "Looking at the footage we see you leaving through the door leading to the tennis courts at 16.01 and Henry following a minute later.

"You went into the tennis court then towards the corner of the tennis courts to see if the adults you were waiting for had come.

"You then pointed Henry out didn't you? And then Henry was attacked with a hammer."

The defendant replied: "No, no."

The defendant claimed he had called an adult to come and collect him from school after being threatened by Henry.

He admitted that he had lied in his police statement when he told officers he had not made any calls between the time of the run-in with Henry and the teenager's beating.

The trial continues.