Above right: Ajang Gor, the victim. Left: Shane Psaila, one of the attackers. Below right: The racist text message sent to the victim's brother. Photo: Penny Stephens, Jason South

RIDING home from his part-time job at KFC last October, 17-year-old Sudanese refugee Ajang Gor was attacked by a group of youths who shouted racist taunts at him.

In an unprovoked assault they called him a "black c--t", punched him and hit him over the head with a Bacardi Breezer bottle, before leaving the Melton resident unconscious on the road and stealing his mobile phone.

Shane Psaila, 19, of Patho, Chris Carlin and Andrew Hoskins, both 21, of West Melton, and James Butler, 19, of South Melton, pleaded guilty in the County Court yesterday to one count each of recklessly causing serious injury.

Hoskins also pleaded guilty to theft and Carlin to possession of a drug of dependence.

Prosecutor Paul Moran told the court the four men had spent most of October 9, 2007, drinking and smoking cannabis. They left the local pub with a takeaway pack of Breezers about 5pm.

On their way home they passed Ajang Gor and his younger brother riding their bikes home from work.

"They immediately began shouting abuse at them saying, 'You black dogs, you get off your bikes and wait for us,' " Mr Moran said. "(One of the men) caught up to Ajang and used a closed fist to strike him."

He said the Sudanese youth was then hit over the head with a bottle that smashed on impact. He fell to the ground, striking the gutter and losing consciousness. Hoskins then stole his phone, and the four men fled.

The four were arrested on November 2, and made admissions in interviews with the police, but only one admitted to racially taunting the refugee.

Psaila told police that he had called him a "black c--t" and repeated the sentiments during his interview. "He's a bitch and he shouldn't even be in the country," Psaila told police.

Barristers for the four men said their clients had histories of drug or alcohol abuse, but none could give a reason for the assault. But Brian Birrelle, for Psaila, said his client's "lack of schooling has robbed him of a value system".

Terry Strong, for Butler, said the 19-year-old regretted his part in the assault: "He is sorry and he is ashamed of his conduct."

Counsel for the four asked Judge Phillip Coish not to impose immediate jail terms, a submission that the prosecutor, Paul Moran did not oppose.

But Judge Coish said he felt they had committed serious crimes that could warrant immediate jail time.

"I've got a 17-year-old riding home from a part-time job. He's just attacked and bashed senseless and then I've got a series of extreme racist taunts," he said.

The assault occurred a day before the funeral of 19-year-old Sudanese refugee Liep Gony who died after he was bashed and left for dead on a Noble Park nature strip two weeks earlier.

The week before the attack on Ajung Gor then immigration minister Kevin Andrews said that the Howard government had cut African refugee numbers because "some groups don't seem to be settling and adjusting into the Australian way of life".

In May this year The Age revealed that racial harassment of Africans increased following Mr Andrews' claims, according to a confidential Immigration Department report.

After he was attacked, Mr Gor told The Age he believed Mr Andrews' comments had spurred on his attackers.

"It's been said that we Sudanese are misbehaving and that there is a higher rate of crime, but I'm not sure if all these accusations are right," he said after his release from hospital.

Yesterday Mr Moran told Judge Coish that Ajang Gor no longer lived in Melton because of the incident.

Judge Coish ordered Psaila, Butler and Hoskins to undergo assessment for community based orders and released all four on bail until August 22.