A mother has been forced to pay over £600 in compensation after her teenage son pleaded guilty to two incidents, one of which included headbutting a teacher. The 14-year-old Letchworth GC youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had already admi

A mother has been forced to pay over £600 in compensation after her teenage son pleaded guilty to two incidents, one of which included headbutting a teacher.

The 14-year-old Letchworth GC youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had already admitted causing criminal damage on March 4 and assaulting a teacher 11 days later before he appeared at Stevenage Youth Court yesterday (Wednesday).

The youth was new to Knights Templar School, Baldock, where the incident took place. He had been excluded from another school last year and is now going to attend a crunch meeting next week with school staff to decide on his future.

Judith Smedley, the presiding magistrate, yesterday heard how the teacher at Knights Templar School spotted a boy coming out of the girls' toilets on March 15.

He spoke to three boys including the defendant.

Prosecutor Lorraine Telford said: "The defendant headbutted him in the face and punched him to the face with a clenched fist. He was held by other teachers until he calmed down and was later taken home.

"The teacher was left with a bloody nose, black eye and a headache."

John Fox, for the defence, said the defendant did not enter the girls' toilets. He had gone past them and some girls called him a nickname so he went back to speak to them.

Mr Fox said the teacher did not accept this and went for the youth verbally. The youth reacted and immediately showed remorse for his actions.

The criminal damage offence involved pushing a trolley into a car at Tesco's.

Mr Fox said the youth's friend was "winding him up" and had borrowed his bike. The defendant pushed the trolley at his friend but it missed him and hit the car.

Appearing in court, the defendant said he was "really, really sorry" about both incidents. His mother added that he will be helped in future by home tutoring.

Mrs Smedley said: "You were quite reckless with what you did with that trolley. Secondly, one is quite concerned because you quite deliberately assaulted the teacher."

She added that a supervision order for nine months was to be made to improve the youth's behaviour and to let him visit a prison to see what prison life would be like if he was ever sent to one.

He will also be made to do unpaid recreational work amounting to about six hours.

The defendant's mother will have to pay £150 in compensation to the assaulted teacher, £475 in compensation to the car owner and £70 in costs.