Teenager Filmed Throwing Sofa at Westfield Had Prior Offence Weeks Earlier
A teenager who recorded his friend hurling a sofa from the top floor of Westfield shopping centre had been spotted throwing objects at shoppers just three weeks before, a court has been told. The 14-year-old boy was arrested after a video of the incident, captioned 'No way bro almost killed someone', went viral on social media last year.
Details of the Dangerous Incident
His 16-year-old friend is seen dropping the 15kg blue chair downwards towards shoppers at the busy east London centre on March 1. The chair narrowly missed one oblivious shopper and caused several others to whip their heads around in shock. In a police interview, the older boy later described the event as 'not that deep', suggesting the worst outcome would be someone needing 'hospital treatment'.
The younger boy, now aged 15, appeared at Stratford Youth Court wearing a black puffer jacket and tracksuit bottoms. Accompanied by his parents, stepmother, and a family friend, he admitted to criminal damage of the £500 chair, which weighs over 30lbs, and recklessly causing a public nuisance, with his hands in his pockets during the proceedings.
Prosecution Highlights Prior Behaviour
Elizabeth Ajayi, prosecuting, stated: 'He would have known the difference between a pebble and a 15kg sofa he was throwing.' She explained that the use of 'almost killed someone' in the video's caption indicated 'he could have foreseen' the consequences of his actions.
Ms Ajayi revealed that just three weeks earlier, on February 9, the teenager was caught throwing 'pebbles and stones' off a balcony at Westfield. He was issued an anti-social behaviour notice along with three other boys from the same location on the second floor. His father, present in court, had to collect him from the police station that day.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Judge Talwinder Buttar noted: 'The pleas being offered are in relation to both criminal damage and causing public nuisance.' She acknowledged the defendant was only 14 at the time of the offence and told him: 'I wanted to speak to the offending service so I can get a bigger picture of your life. The young offenders' service will speak to you. You must go to the appointment.'
In a related case last September, the 16-year-old friend admitted to recklessly causing a public nuisance and criminal damage. He received an eight-month detention and training order, with half to be served in a secure training facility. The older boy had claimed that he and his friend regularly threw objects off bridges and trains as 'pranks', highlighting a pattern of reckless behaviour.
