A 16-year-old schoolboy has been locked up for eight months after recklessly throwing a heavy blue seat off the third floor of england/scotland/”>scotland-england/”>scotland/westfield/”>westfield-scotland/”>westfield/”>Westfield Stratford City in london/”>East London. The 15kg chair plummeted 50 feet towards shoppers below in a prank that could have caused serious injury or worse.
The teen, who cannot be named, launched the dangerous stunt back in March. A video of the incident went viral on social media, showing him hurling the seat down a stairwell in the bustling shopping centre. The caption read: “No way bro almost killed someone.”
Close Call with Shoppers
During the court hearing at Stratford Youth Court, prosecutor Noel Shaw warned of the “realistic risk of extremely serious injury” to innocent mall-goers. The footage showed the chair narrowly missing at least four people below, one of whom had to quickly dodge out of the way.
“This was no harmless prank,” Mr Shaw said. “The object weighed at least 15kg, enough to cause life-changing harm. It was thrown deliberately, with full knowledge that people were walking underneath without any protection.”
Teen Admits Reckless Mischief, Claims ‘Showing Off’
The boy, accompanied by a Somali interpreter, admitted reckless public nuisance and criminal damage. He told police the incident was “not that deep” and the worst outcome might be someone “needing hospital treatment.” He also revealed he and a friend regularly pulled similar stunts, throwing objects off bridges and trains.
His lawyer described the act as “showing off” and said the boy is immature and in need of rehabilitation rather than a harsh sentence. Despite this, District Judge Shanta Deonarine said the crime was so severe that custody was the only suitable punishment.
Sentence and Aftermath
The 16-year-old was handed an eight-month detention and training order, with half to be served in a secure facility. The judge also imposed a £41 surcharge. The teen expressed remorse in court, saying he was “really sorry” and asked for a chance to change.
His 15-year-old friend denies all charges and is set to stand trial in December.
