A READING teenager has been accused of 'smashing a girl's face in' with a knuckle duster causing a fracture to her eye socket leaving her hospitalised for a week. 

Kayden Williams, of Don Close in Tilehurst, is on trial at Reading Crown Court this week accused of attacking two teenage girls on August 4, 2022. 

The 18 year old faces one charge of wounding with intent and a second charge of assault following an incident in Coronation Square. He is also accused of using a knuckle duster. He denies the charges. 

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He is alleged to have committed the offences against a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Prosecutor Stefan Weidmann opened the case on Tuesday (February 21) for the trial which is expected to close by Friday (February 24).

He said: “The case the crown say is about an 18-year-old man smashing a 15-year-old girl's face in. We allege him to have done two things.

“Count one is causing grievous bodily harm with intent. It’s factually very straightforward this case. Count two, we say he did it with a knuckle duster.”

Mr Weidmann then showed the jury a picture of the victim’s face. She had a fractured eye socket and a broken nose and was in Royal Berkshire Hospital for seven days following the incident.

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The jury was then shown CCTV footage of the alleged incident in which Williams accepts it is him approaching the victim on a bench in Coronation Square - but denies using a knuckle duster.

“The Crown understands the defendant accepts that is him [in the CCTV],” said Mr Weidmann. “We see a number of people sitting on a bench in Coronation Square.

“The Crown say what you see here is significant – it’s quick, very, very quick.”

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The prosecution told the court that the case is a ‘linked incident’ to a crash that happened on Pierces Hill, Tilehurst. Sheldon Lewcock, 19, was involved in a fatal crash with a van on August 4 and passed away in hospital on August 9. 

A 17-year-old boy was subsequently charged with attempted murder, however Thames Valley Police dropped the murder investigation and released the 17-year-old without charge.

Barrister Jon Sank, who appeared in Williams’s hearing, said the case was now being investigated by the Joint Operations Roads Policing Serious Collision Investigation Unit.

The trial continues.