A man who attacked a 16-year-old boy, slamming his head into a wall, has been found guilty of assault.
35-year-old Michael Coe of Greenwich was found guilty of actual bodily harm following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court.
He was also found guilty of the common assault of a 31-year-old man who witnessed and took photos of the attack.
Michael Coe
Michael Coe
The court heard how on 15 April, Coe pulled up in a silver Ford Focus on Wilson Road, E6 when he saw the victim and the boy's 16-year-old girlfriend hugging at a bus stop.
He told the boy to leave the girl alone, then got out of the car and asked if they were Muslim, after which he called the girl a "whore".
When the boy remonstrated with Coe for speaking to his girlfriend in this way, Coe smashed his head against a wall.
The boy passed out, falling to the floor, and Coe kicked him in the head while his girlfriend helplessly looked on.
Coe momentarily got back into the car but seeing that a man in the street was taking photos on his mobile phone, he got back out and tried to wrench the phone from his hands.
Unsuccessful, Coe picked the man up and threw him to the floor, before driving off in the car.
Both victims were taken to hospital. The teenager suffered cuts to his head; thankfully the other victim escaped without serious injuries as he was wearing a crash helmet at the time of the attack.
Detectives from Newham Borough were able to trace the Ford Focus as the 31-year-old man had caught the registration plate on his mobile phone. They then used the man’s photos of Coe to identify him as the perpetrator.
Coe was arrested on 16 April - when interviewed by police, Coe claimed he had assaulted the boy because he believed the girl was in distress but at court the prosecution argued that the attack by Muslim-convert Coe had religious overtones.
Coe made no mention of kicking the boy in the head or assaulting the second victim during his police interview.
Following a three-day trial, the jury took just an hour and a half to find Coe guilty of both assaults. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 21 September.
Newham Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Tony Nash, said: "Coe tried to save himself from prosecution by purporting to be some kind of hero, coming to the rescue of a girl he had in fact been abusive to.
"It was fortunate that both victims did not suffer serious physical injuries, although the mental and emotional impact on them, and the teenage girl who witnessed the attack, is difficult to gauge.
"I’m grateful to the second victim, who bravely took photos of the incident, at risk to himself. This evidence enabled us to quickly identify Coe. He also provided crucial witness testimony at the trial.
"Newham has a diverse and tolerant community profile and from this comes its strength to be a cohesive and progressive society. By working together, police and the communities we serve can help ensure that those who attempt to unbalance this through criminal behaviour are brought to face justice, as in this case."