A TEENAGE boy repeatedly hit a friend over the head with a toy rifle and threw boiling coffee over a woman, a court heard yesterday.

The boy, 15, carried out the attacks in October and November last year at his address in Darlington, and was described as being "cocky and abusive" at the time of both incidents.

Darlington Youth Court was told how, in the first attack, he hit a boy of similar age over the head with the fake weapon as he lay in bed, after a row about a television.

In the later incident, he threatened a woman who was looking after him at the time, and threw freshly-made coffee over her, leaving her with significant burns and scars.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault.

Magistrates gave him a nine-month referral order, and ordered him to pay £20 compensation to the woman.

Hari Jandoo, prosecuting, said the boy knew what he did was wrong.

"He made admissions he struck another boy over the head with a toy rifle and knew he was not right to do it, he knows the difference between right and wrong," he said.

Mr Jandoo said that after the boy had thrown coffee over the woman, scalding her arm, he threatened that he would throw it in her face.

"However, he said he thought the liquid in the cup was not as hot as it actually was," he added.

Callum Terry, in mitigation, said the boy had apologised to both victims and accepted his behaviour was unacceptable on each occasion.