A teenager who threw a sofa 50ft from a Westfield Stratford shopping centre balcony for a viral online “prank” has been handed an eight-month detention and training order.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was filmed by a friend as he lifted the 15-kilo seat and hurled it over a glass barrier from the top floor of the east London complex.
The sofa crashed to the ground below, narrowly missing shoppers on the ground floor, before the pair fled the scene.
He later pleaded guilty at Stratford Youth Court to criminal damage and causing a public nuisance.
Wearing a black Nike T-shirt, the teenager appeared in the dock on Wednesday accompanied by a Somali interpreter.
Prosecutor Noel Shaw said: “Clearly, the most serious factor is that there was a realistic risk of extremely serious injury, life-changing injury, to somebody completely unconnected with either of the defendants.
“What the court has seen is the defendant picking up what is described as - although I wouldn't have used the word - a sofa, certainly a very heavy piece of furniture and throwing it over a balcony.
“What one sees in the footage is effectively a type of stairwell - a tiered gallery situation - one can see that it has landed on a place where people are normally walking in the shopping centre.
“This all occurred on 1 March this year, he was interviewed on the 4 March - to summarise, he admits throwing, he says he intended to do damage to the sofa stool, he admits being reckless.
“He thought the worst that might happen is that someone might require hospital treatment, he was apologetic.”
The teenager claimed he and his friend regularly threw objects off bridges and trains as “pranks”.
Mark Tooley, representing the 16-year-old, said he had been “showing off”.
“He is an immature young man yet to come anywhere close to full maturity and understanding - rehabilitation is the key,” Mr Tooley added.
When given the opportunity to speak, the teenager said he was “really sorry” and asked to be given a second chance.
District Judge Shanta Deonarine said the offences were “so serious that no other sentence is appropriate other than a custodial sentence”.
She said: “In relation to harm I have to concede there was no physical harm.
“In relation to psychological harm even the impact of watching that would be enough for people to feel quite mentally unsure and a little bit frightened walking in shopping centres.”
The judge added: “It was an intentional, deliberate act - throwing a heavy object.
“You didn't throw a bit of paper, didn't screw up a sponge-ball and just chuck it over and see what happened - this was a heavy object.
“It weighed at least 15kg, it was certainly enough for you to lift on your own - it was not a sofa, more of a sofa stool or a pouffe.
“There were people underneath - I have counted how many people, at least four people - it misses one of them narrowly, that person looks back and steps very quickly to the side.
“That aggravates the offence, it was thrown from the top floor to the bottom floor and just the law of physics means it gathers more force on its way down.”
The teenager was handed an eight-month detention and training order, half of which will be served in a secure training facility.
Judge Deonarine imposed the standard £41 victim surcharge but made no order for costs.
His 15-year-old friend, who also appeared in court, denies both charges and is due to stand trial on December 2.
