A teen who attacked a same-sex couple on a night bus before stealing their handbags has been left off with only a referral order.
Christine Hannigan and Melania Ramirez were subjected to homophobic gestures and slurs by three teenagers in northwest London on May 30.
Surveillance footage showed the couple surrounded and pelted with coins as the teens terrorized them for 9 long minutes.
The 16-year-old boy and two other teens, aged 17 and 15, admitted targeting the couple before they were due to go on trial.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, received an 8-month youth referral order because of the homophobic nature of the attack.
He admitted using insulting, abusive and threatening words or behavior to cause distress, alarm or harassment against the two women. He was also ordered to pay a £20 surcharge and £100 fine.
The teen also admitted theft of one of their handbags. Both Ms. Hannigan’s phone and Ms. Ramirez’s handbag were recovered after the 16-year-old was arrested.
Andrew Mooney, mitigating, said the teen hadn’t made homophobic gestures or thrown coins like the other two.
But chair magistrate Peter Bullet said: “By all accounts this was an unpleasant situation with offences committed by a large group in the early hours in a public space against two women on their own.
“It would seem it was both a homophobic trigger and the context for this offending behaviour.”
When the teen was asked how he could make it up to the women, he answered: “Show them that’s not the person I am.”
The 15-year-old boy is due to be sentenced for harassment.
One internet user commented: “Boris. Please get these judges to join the human race and learn what life is really about. Sentences like this are a joke.”
Another wrote: “Show his face!!!! If he’s big and brave enough to do this kind of thing, then he’s big and brave enough to face the public.”
A third added: “These are the type of joke sentences that BJ needs to take a look at if he wants to improve the judicial system.”
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Replaced!