A teenager has been given a one-year detention training order for assaulting shop staff and repeated violence.

The 17-year-old girl admitted three counts of assault, one drunk and disorderly charge, one assault on a police officer and two of criminal damage at Colchester Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court heard the teenager had gone to Colchester High Street on June 1 and started banging her head against a wall.

Police tried to help her and she became violent and kicked an officer on the shin, the court heard.

Christian Meikle, prosecuting, said on June 5 she went to the Spar store in High Street and kicked a display board over.

She was then abusive to a staff member and ran at her, forcing her into the shop.

On June 8 she had been drunk and causing problems to staff at the Spar store and was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Then on June 9 she sprayed perfume in the right eye of a worker at the same store and threatened to hit her with a hairbrush.

Mr Meikle said she then lunged at another staff member and, while three tried to restrain her, she dug her fingernails into a girl's hands and tried to bite her."

Mitigating, Roger Brice said: "She's a lonely lady and she wants some degree of attachment."

The teenager was given a four-month detention and training order for assaulting the police officer, and the same for each three of the common assaults with one running concurrently making it a 12 month sentence altogether. For the criminal damage she was given an absolute discharge

Published Friday July 9, 2004

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