TWO foreign university students were asked if they were suicide bombers before one was assaulted outside a pub on Christmas Eve, a court has heard.

Ihsan Abualrob previously told The Northern Echo he thought he was going to die when a group of men attacked him outside the Happy Wanderer, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham.

The Durham University student was punched before being repeatedly kicked to the ground and left with injuries including a concussion.

Yesterday, Paul Edward Peet, 50, and his sons Sean Edward Peet, 24 and Aaron James Peet, 19, all of Frankland Road, Durham, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court to answer for the attack.

Peet senior pleaded guilty to racially/religiously aggravated common assault while his sons both admitted a charge of assault by beating.

Iain Jordan, prosecuting, said Peet senior had been drinking when he approached the two men and said: "You are all Muslims. Are you all suicide bombers?"

The men left the pub but were again confronted outside where Peet senior and a group of men including his sons launched the attack.

Peet senior said: "F*** Islam, f*** Allah, f*** Mohammed" before Mr Abualrob was punched in the side of the face and repeatedly kicked on the floor.

Peet senior and his eldest son were arrested that night before his youngest son handed himself in a few days later.

In a victim statement, Mr Abualrob said his self confidence had been affected as well as his ability to study.

"When I came to England I thought it was a welcoming country but my perception has changed," he said. "I did not think I would be treated differently because of my origin, race or religion. I would like them to acknowledge their wrongdoing and be taught about diversity."

Mitigating for the youngest son, Paul Donoghue, said his client "accepts he joined in" and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

As he was in breach of a suspended sentence and two conditional discharges, the teenager will be sentenced at Durham Crown Court on August 16.

Peet senior and his eldest son, who are both glass fitters, were represented by Annalisa Moscardini.

Ms Moscardini said Peet senior told her he felt "uncomfortable" by the students who he said were "sitting there doing nothing" and accepted his "joke" was "completely inappropriate".

She said Peet junior was "mortified" by his actions and only got involved "trying to support his family".

Magistrate Julie Pikesley handed both Peet and his eldest son a 12-month community order with 150 hours' unpaid work for Peet and 100 hours' for his son.

They were both also ordered to pay £100 in compensation along with £85 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the sentence, Vice-Chancellor  of Durham University, Stuart Corbridge, said: “This was a vile and bigoted attack, which shocked and saddened all of us here at Durham University.

“We reject all forms of prejudice or discrimination and we condemn incidents like this in the strongest possible terms.

“The safety and wellbeing of Ihsan and Sherif remain our priority, and we will continue to support them in every way we can.

“Durham University is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms and we are proactively involved in a national project aimed at combating this pernicious issue.”