Friends of teen bully filmed attack - court

10:24am Friday 16th May 2008

A TEENAGE bully attacked another girl in a Worcester street while her friends stood by and filmed the encounter on their mobile phones, a court was told.

It was the third time in a month that the 14-year-old, who cannot be named by order of the court, had carried out unprovoked street attacks on young girls.

Judge Andrew Geddes said that it must have been a frightening experience for her victims and she had showed no remorse. But he was impressed by the progress she had made while in custody for nearly five months.

The girl pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to one charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, two charges of assault by beating and one of using insulting words and behaviour.

The judge made a two-year supervision order with a requirement the girl does 45 days' specified activities. She must also carry out 30 hours of unpaid work and be tagged for three months for an 8pm to 7am curfew.

He also imposed a two-year anti-social behaviour order and made a six-month parenting order so the family can get counselling.

The attacks all took place in January, said Rashad Mohammed, prosecuting. In the first, on January 4, a 14-year-old girl was punched in the face, kneed and then headbutted. Her nose bled and she was cut on the face.

Three days later, a 16-year-old girl was struck a massive blow on the back of her head as she went to the Army Cadet headquarters. She fell backwards on to railings, her nose was broken and she later had two stitches put in head wounds.

The third assault on a 13-year-old girl happened as she walked along St John's Road on January 15. She was challenged to a fight but when she refused, she was punched in the face, her hair was grabbed and she was slammed into a wall. Friends of the assailant filmed the ordeal on their mobile phones.

When police arrested her the next day, the girl was violent and swore. She showed no remorse and threatened that when she was released she was going to cut up one of her victims and throw her into the river in a black bag.

Her time in custody, almost the equivalent of an eight-month sentence, had been a profound shock and a chastening experience, said Joe Kieran, defending. A few months ago, the girl was out of control but was now more disciplined.

The judge said he had been considering whether she was a dangerous person posing a risk to the public but he had decided she could best be managed through a community order.

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