A 16-year-old who filmed an attack on a pensioner and laughed as he was fly kicked into the River Mersey said he is 'really sorry'.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, could be heard giggling as he filmed the assault on the 74-year-old man, who was catapulted into the River Mersey.
The pensioner later said in his victim statement that he "thought he was going to die."
The two teenagers - the 16-year-old, and 18-year-old Benjamin Bridgeman - pleaded guilty to their roles in the sickening incident when they first appeared at Warrington Magistrates' Court last month.
The 16-year-old returned to court for sentencing on Thursday (June 3), reported the Warrington Guardian, where he pleaded guilty to common assault.
Defending, Ian Waites told the court: "It's obviously a very severe incident.
"He could have been on the end of a manslaughter charge.
"Thank goodness somebody plucked the man out of the river.
"It was never a malicious, sadistic act done to cause someone harm – it was a crude prank to gain kudos on social media.
"It's despicable behaviour, completely stupid and highly dangerous.
"My client accepts all of that.
"Young people do incredibly stupid things, but this is probably in a league of its own."
When asked to address the judge, the youth added: "If I could go back in time I wouldn't do it.
"I'm just really sorry about what I did.
"That night, I couldn't sleep because I felt guilty.
"I handed myself in because I felt so guilty."
The disturbing footage, which the ECHO has chosen not to publish, showed a man dressed in a black gilet kicking the pensioner with force as he stood on the bank of the Mersey on Sunday, April 25.
As he floundered in the waters those responsible ran away, and laughing could be heard.
Bridgeman, 18, of Yardley Avenue in Warrington, was seen to run at the man and inflict what prosecutors termed "a karate-style flying kick" at him which pushed the man into the river.
The CPS said the 16-year-old filmed the attack while it was happening and then posted it on the social media platform Snapchat and put a smiling emoji next to it.
They ran off afterwards but could be seen later looking at the footage together and laughing.
Two heroic schoolgirls rescued the elderly victim from the River Mersey.
Friends Ellie Hughes and Khloe Woods, 14, were walking down the river bank in Warrington and heard someone screaming for help and turned around to find the man, 74, in the freezing cold water.
The teens rushed to the man's aid and made a human chain to get him out of the water.
The CPS said the pensioner suffered a cut to his nose and had been badly shaken up by the shock of what had happened and the effect of the cold water.
He lost his keys in the incident and also a silver dollar pendant which had great sentimental value. These were later recovered.
Both defendants handed themselves in a few days after the assault.
District judge Nicholas Sanders considered imposing a custodial sentence before imposing a 12-month youth referral order.
Sentencing, he said: "Let me say that no-one is laughing now about what you did.
"It doesn't matter whether he was 74, 54 or 24, that sort of behaviour is just horrible.
"Inflicting pain on someone for a laugh is a horrible thing to do.
"Not only that, you filmed it and published it on social media and you left him in the water waiting for other people much more publicly-minded and good spirited than you are to go and save him.
"You should be deeply ashamed of what you did.
"This could easily have been something a lot more serious.
"I never ever want to see you back before this court again.
"It's your only chance – you have been warned what will happen if you fail to comply."
The boy's mum was also told to pay £500 in compensation to the victim.
Bridgeman, of Quebec Road in Orford, is due to be sentenced by the same court on June 10 after admitting assault.
