A teenager fractured another boy's skull in a drunken attack.

The 15-year-old boy hit another in the face twice during an argument at a social gathering, leaving his victim in tears as he fled the scene to hospital.

At a sentencing hearing on Monday, the young thug was told that he was “fortunate” to not be going to prison and would have immediately been sent to jail for the attack had he been an adult.

The hearing at Hove Crown Court was told that the attacker and his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been attending a gathering in Eastbourne on April 1, 2023, where they had been “drinking and socialising”.

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During an altercation the victim was slapped in the face by another boy before his attacker punched him in the mouth and the forehead.

The court heard that the victim, who was also 15 at the time, walked to the hospital crying after two of his teeth were displaced and he suffered a fractured skull.

The victim has since needed surgery on his mouth and will require dental implants to treat his injuries and two dead teeth.

In a statement read to the court, the boy said: “This has caused me a lot of pain. I was assaulted by people who I thought were my mates.

“I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. When I am alone I sometimes feel depressed.”

Now 17, the boy’s attacker pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful wounding having previously been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.

Delivering his sentencing remarks, Judge Jeremy Gold KC told the teenager: “If you were an adult you would be going straight to custody.

“You are fortunate that you were only 15 at the relevant time.”

The attacker was handed a referral order which requires them to agree to rehabilitation.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his victim and handed a five-year restraining order.