A mum who decided to go to Ibiza rather than attend the sentencing of her 12-year-old son involved in the summer’s riots has been ordered to pay compensation amounting to the cost of her holiday.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of his age, was previously due to be sentenced on 2 September – but proceedings were adjourned when the court learned the boy’s mother was on holiday in Ibiza.
The boy was accompanied by his uncle instead, but District Judge Joanne Hirst told Manchester Magistrates’ Court she was “frankly astonished” and ordered a parental summons for the mother to explain herself.
The 30-year-old single mother, who also cannot be named because that would identify her son, appeared at the court on Wednesday alongside him and told the judge the Spanish island break had cost £1,200.
She had decided to fly abroad for the five-day trip the day before her son was due to appear in court last week to be sentenced after admitting two counts of violent disorder.
Explaining her absence, she told the judge she spoke with her solicitor and the Youth Justice team: “It was not put to me how much I needed to be there. Each one said, ‘Is there an appropriate adult?’ My brother – which is why I went on holiday.”
After an hour-long hearing, the judge ordered her to take part in a six-month parenting course and pay £1,200 compensation.
“You know it’s approximately the same cost as your holiday to Ibiza,” the judge told her.
She told the youngster, who has ADHD, he had been involved in “the worst type of feral behaviour in our country” and if an adult, he would be going to jail for up to five years.
However, the judge said she was giving him a “chance” and instead ordered him to complete a 12-month referral order.
He was described as a “lovely” child by his mother, but who had at times a “chaotic” home life.
The boy told the judge he was “sorry” and that he was receiving help from social workers and had taken up boxing.
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The judge previously said the boy had played a greater part than any adult she had seen.
He admitted to being part of a group attacking a bus outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Manchester on 31 July.
The boy was also part of a group filmed kicking the windows of a vape shop and throwing a missile at a police van in Manchester city centre on 3 August. He also knocked over shelves in a Sainsbury’s store as it was looted.
The court was shown video footage of his offences.
Catherine Baird, defending, told the court the youngster had no previous convictions, adding: “This is a child. He simply got wrapped up, surrounded by peers, many of them were adults. Custody would do more harm than good.”
The mother was ordered to pay £300 each to the bus driver, a housing officer at the asylum hotel, an asylum seeker who was on the attacked bus and a member of staff at the looted Sainsbury’s store.