A Southampton man who assaulted two men in "gang related'' incidents will be sentenced on February 17.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis ordered a social inquiry report for Shawn Fox after hearing the 20-year-old admit he attacked Andrew Brown in September and Laurie Baxter in October.

Before ordering the report, Mr. Francis said: "I do suppose that there is more than meets the eye. Maybe a probation officer can tell me what's going on with you.'' Mr. Francis heard that an argument broke out around 11 p.m. on September 11 between Mr. Brown and Fox at the Southampton Rangers' Club.

Junior Crown counsel Veronica Gordon said Fox threatened Mr. Brown before he began to walk away.

Fox, of 16 Riviera Road, later tried to push Mr. Brown over a 12-foot wall but the man fell backwards onto the ground and lost consciousness.

Fox was pulled off the helpless man who later required stitches to his neck, leg and mouth which were treated at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

When he was arrested on November 20, Fox had nothing to say but later told Police in an interview he had been upset at his grandfather's passing.

Ms Gordon added that Fox repeated "I shouldn't be here'' several times.

Fox also admitted to assaulting Mr. Baxter on October 28 on Middle Road, Southampton, when Mr. Baxter was punched outside the Cocomo Ltd. property.

Ms Gordon said both men began to fight and fell to the ground when Fox punched the other man about the face and head.

Mr. Baxter was able to escape to the MarketPlace supermarket across the street.

Ms Gordon said Fox later admitted the offence to Police and said the assaults were "gang related'' and assaulted Mr. Baxter only because he had attacked a member of his gang.

Again Fox told Police: "I shouldn't be here.'' On Tuesday, Fox told Mr. Francis: "For Andrew Brown, what they said was rubbish. He attacked me. People were trying to hold him.

"He came to me and what happens? This,'' Fox added. "He grabbed me and I decked him and he bit me. We were both a little drunk.

"For Laurie Baxter, he's been waving machetes at me,'' he said. "This was all more than once. This time he didn't have any. I got the split lip.''