A TEENAGER pumped full of “chemical coshes” in native Poland then exiled to a children’s home in northern England had been failed by the system, a Swindon court heard.
The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is under 18, found himself in the youth court dock after biting his mum and hitting a wall in his family home with a metal pole.
Magistrates heard the boy had long suffered from behavioural problems. Growing up in Poland he had been fed medication to effectively keep him sedated.
Julie Coleman, a manager at Swindon’s youth offending team, said: “Most certainly this boy was given lots and lots of medication that would knock him out and as soon as he came round again he would be angry.”
He moved to the UK with his family four years ago. After an attack on his embattled mum was by chance witnessed by a passing police officer, who came to her aid, the teen was given a youth referral order for assault.
He spent three years in a residential children’s home in the north of England. Ms Coleman told the justices: “He had no education. They couldn’t find anything that fitted.
“His social worker says he’s never been able to manage a classroom. I don’t think he’s ever been tried.”
The boy was now back in the family home. However, police had to be called when the teen became angry in a dispute over food, punched his mum to the chest and bit her on the arm before taking out his anger on a wall.
Ms Coleman said the boy had an “awful lot of people involved” in looking after his interests.
Notwithstanding that, Ms Coleman said: “I think he’s been failed by services that have not been able to find him the right placement.”
She asked the magistrates to give the boy – who has dreams of becoming a police officer – a youth referral order four years after he was handed a similar court order.
The boy pleaded guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage.
Chairman of the bench Janet Morgan said: “Beating anybody is pretty bad but beating your poor mum – I think you know how shocking it is, don’t you. I bet you’re very ashamed of what you did.
“It’s not often people get a second chance at a referral order, but we’re going to do it because the first one was so long ago.”
He was given a nine month order and told he must pay a £21 victim surcharge.
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