Teenager hit boy in the head with bottle and held him at knifepoint

The victim, a 15-year-old boy, thought he was selling a vape to Joshua Wharton.

But instead he was 'lured' to the scene in Padgate and attacked by Wharton who was wearing a balaclava and accompanied by another teenager.

The victim and Wharton did not know each other.

Wharton appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to theft.

Prosecuting, Simon Rodgers said the offenses took place on March 8 last year.

The victim, a 15-year-old boy, had arranged to sell a vape to Wharton, of Rudloe Close, Padgate, and his friend who is being dealt with separately by the courts.

The boys arranged to meet at Vulcan Park at night, but the location was later changed under a subway.

Mr Rodgers said that that evening Wharton and his friend did not show up, so the victim and his girlfriend decided to leave and so began walking home.

CCTV footage was shown in court of Wharton, who was holding an empty wine bottle by his neck, and his friend, who were both wearing dark clothing and balaclavas, then walking behind the victim and his girlfriend.

Mr Rodgers said Wharton then came up behind the victim and hit him over the head with a bottle, causing him to “face plant” to the ground and lose consciousness.

When the boy regained consciousness, Wharton was leaning over him with a knife and telling him to empty his pockets.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how the victim managed to get up and run away “as quickly as she could”.

When the boy returned home, he discovered his sneakers had been stolen and he had cut marks all over his coat.

He had a laceration to the back of his head from the bottle and an injury above his eye.

Mr Rodgers said when the victim's girlfriend tried to check on him, Wharton and his friend threatened her and told her to leave.

She ran away and was so terrified that she decided to hide in a trash can.

Officers were able to track Wharton's friend through his Snapchat identity and when they showed up at his address, both boys were there.

Wharton told officers, “You probably want to take me too.” »

When asked why, he replied: “Because I was the one who hurt the child.” »

A victim impact statement was read to the court, revealing the boy feels anxious following the incident, looks over his shoulder when he goes out and is sometimes reluctant to leave the house.

The court heard that because Wharton was 17 at the time of the crime, the adult sentencing guidelines did not apply to him.

Defending, Eve Salter said the offense was more than a year old and since it was committed Wharton had used that time to show he could be a “law-abiding citizen”.

She said he had now moved out and was caring for a man with several health problems.

Ms Salter explained how the defendant, who suffers from anxiety and depression and has ADHD, had been trying to get his life back on track since the offense.

Before sentencing, District Judge John McGarva: “The victim was lured to you thinking she was going to sell a vape, she was lured to the scene.

“You both waited and disguised yourself with balaclavas.

“It was you who used all the violence.

“I have to consider this a very serious offense.”

The judge explained that the starting point for the offense would have been six years in prison if Wharton was an adult when he committed the offense.

But since he was 17, adult guidelines don't apply.

Wharton was given a 12-month community order during which he must carry out up to 30 days of rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a five-year restraining order against the victim and his girlfriend.