A teenager risked a spell behind bars for breaching a community order passed as a direct alternative to custody over a spanner attack outside a sweet shop.
Brooklyn Knighton was told he had “let down” the judge who previously passed sentence on him, when he appeared back before Durham Crown Court on Wednesday (November 19), having failed to attend all his required probation programme appointments.
Knighton, then 18, originally appeared alongside another teenage defendant at the court, on March 20.
Both had taken part in the joint assault, initiated by Knighton, on another teenager outside a sweet shop in Clyde Terrace, Spennymoor, in October, last year.
The court heard that in front of customers, including mothers and children, Knighton was initially disarmed, but when his co-accused joined in, they got the better of the victim, who was briefly knocked unconscious, just inside the shop entrance.
Both attackers fled and an ambulance was called to take the casualty to hospital for treatment for a gash and other abrasions to his head.
Knighton, of Surrey Crescent, Consett, and his co-accused, a 17-year-old Spennymoor youth at the time of the incident, who were arrested later, both admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.
A charge of possessing an offensive weapon in public, the spanner, was also admitted by Knighton.
Judge Nathan Adams said whatever Knighton's disagreement with the complainant was about, it did not justify such a public assault, in a place where children were likely to be present.
As both spent time on remand in custody prior to being sentenced, enabling them to “get clean" of drugs, he made both subject to 18-month community orders, during which Knighton was told to attend 41 probation-led programme and rehabilitation sessions.
But the Probation Service brought the case back to court for breach of the order in Knighton's case, over his failure to attend several of the required probation appointments.
Penny Hall, for the defendant, said: “He has attended some appointments, but I accept not all.
“He presents as immature and that, perhaps, explains the level of his compliance.
“But he’s attended today and is aware his liberty is at risk.
“It is not, though, a case of him totally ignoring the order and there’s still a hope he can complete the requirements.
“Probation have proposed to keep the order going.”
Judge Adams told Knighton: “You have let me down and missed too many appointments.
“You haven’t made anywhere near enough progress with this order.
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“I’m going to give you one last chance today, but if we end up back here with further breaches a few months down the line, you will be going to prison.
“Compliance isn’t optional.”
Judge Adams added a further two rehabilitation activity days to the order and reserved the case to himself if there were to be any further breaches.
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