An Ellenbrook teenager will spend his first night behind bars after his suspended sentence for coward-punching a fellow student was overturned on Wednesday.
The 14-year-old victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was at Ellenbrook Central with friends in April when he was struck from behind.
The 16-year-old boy avoided jail time for a vicious “coward-punch” attack in Ellenbrook in April.Credit: 9News Perth
The force of the punch caused him to hit the floor face first where he remained motionless for 20 seconds, and he was bleeding heavily from his mouth as he tried to get to his feet.
His 16-year-old attacker, who was 15 at the time of the attack and cannot be named due to his age, was confronted by shoppers and fled the scene.
The boy later told police the victim had him suspended from school, and he had told him the next time he saw him, “it was on”.
On Wednesday last week, the 16-year-old was handed a six-month suspended sentence with supervision by Magistrate Kim Farmer, who said the attacker had no criminal record and pleaded guilty to acts intended to cause harm or endanger the life, health or safety of any person.
The victim’s father told 9News Perth outside court the sentence was not harsh enough.
Farmer said the sentence would send a message to young people that there will be consequences for offending of this nature.
However, that decision was overturned days later by Children’s Court President Hylton Quail, who said a strong message must be sent to about the dangers of one-punch attacks.
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