Drink fuelled girl’s attacks

A 15-year-old girl was given an 18-month supervision order for three assaults, one of which was on a pregnant woman at the Lakeside Shopping Centre, Balderton.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Newark Youth Court after admitting all three assaults at a previous hearing.

The magistrates told her she had come close to being sent to custody. She must also pay £25 compensation to each victim.

The court heard that she assaulted two boys, both younger than herself, on March 19.

In the first assault she pulled a boy backwards from behind by his hair on Main Street, Balderton.

The boy said that the girl was shouting at him but he could not understand what she was saying because she had been drinking.

The second assault was about an hour later, when a boy was on his bicycle on Main Street.

She crossed the road and confronted him, then headbutted him and threw his spectacles into a garden.

The victim had a bruise on the bridge of his nose.

The prosecutor, Mr Julian Moore, said the girl had drunk red wine and taken amphetamines that day, which made her short-tempered.

The third incident, on May 24, was at the Lakeside Shopping Centre when the girl pulled the hair of Mrs Tracey Haynes, who was with her husband.

CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court.

It showed the girl and five other youths who were sentenced the week before for their part in the incident.

Mr Moore said: “The CCTV shows her approaching Mrs Haynes and pulling her hair to pull her off the scuffle.”

He said that she accepted her involvement from the start and that she believed she was pulling Mrs Haynes to safety.

Mrs Vicky Clarson, defending, said the girl was not involved in all of the Lakeside attack.

She was riding her bicycle past at the time and saw some friends whom she had known for about three years.

She said the girl did not want to go down the line of self-defence.

Mrs Clarson said: “It was an impulse reaction to pull her away but she accepts that wasn’t the right thing to do.”

Mrs Clarson said the girl was ashamed of her actions.

She said the girl had a reasonably steady upbringing, until about three years ago when her parents separated.

She said the girl had dabbled in drugs and alcohol and had been excluded from school.

The girl said: “I used to take ecstasy, cannabis and amphetamines.

“I have now stopped taking them altogether.”

She said she stopped taking them because she was upsetting her friends and family.

She said: “Drugs made me in a really bad mood. But now I am trying to walk away from trouble.

“When I was taking drugs I did not know what I was doing.

“Thinking back, if someone chased my younger brother down the street, then I would not be happy.

“I am very ashamed of what I have done.”