A masked "yob" who terrorised a Bolton shopkeeper as part of a group of 20 to 30 youths during an afternoon of violence has avoided prison.

Speaking in Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 19, the 17-year-old said he had originally just wanted to get a drink from the shop – eliciting a furious response from the judge who warned that he should not "test" her patience.

The Bolton News applied to have legal restrictions on identifying the boy lifted, but this was refused by Judge Margaret McCormack due to the defendant's "complex background".

Under section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, there are automatic restrictions on identifying defendants under the age of 18 in youth court.

The teen's defence solicitor, Dan Gaskell, said publishing the identity of his client, who has previously been subject to a referral order for possession of a "bladed article", would risk that "he becomes a target himself".

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‘I now stand outside my shop out of fear’

Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls told the court that a "large group" of 20 to 30 youths continued to cause disruption, with their faces covered, in Bolton town centre on August 4, after most of the day’s demonstrations had concluded.

The court was shown footage of a group of masked youths, including the boy, attacking AMZ convenience store on Great Moor Street.

The court heard that members of the group shouted at the shop’s owner, who was alone, while others pushed and kicked onto the windows and delayed the shop’s electronic shutters from closing while a panicked shopkeeper watched on from inside.

In a statement read out to the court, the shop owner said he was scared during the incident, and believed he had been targeted due to his race.

He added: “I now stand outside my shop out of fear in case another protest occurs, or I’m targeted again, I am constantly on edge, and this has become difficult for me.”

The shop’s owner said he estimated damage to the shop to be in the range of £1,200 to £2,000, and he is now worried about the future impact on his insurance costs.

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Boy is ‘a young man with some potential’

Defending, Mr Gaskell said the teenager's actions were more similar to the "riots of 2011", with his motivation said to be "less direct than some of those involved".

He stated the boy was “a young man with some potential”, adding that he had “made the best of himself, and has let himself down significantly by getting involved in this particular action – he’s young enough to learn from his mistakes".

Judge to boy: ‘Do not treat me as an idiot’

Judge McCormack then asked the defendant what he had to say for himself.

He responded: “I’m sorry, innit, I’m sorry about the shop, I didn’t mean to cause no damage to the shop, at first I wanted to get a drink, innit.”

Judge McCormack responded: “Don’t test my patience by saying you were going to get a can of pop.”

She added: “Anybody looking at that CCTV knows you were not there to meet up with mates, and it was terrifying for anybody who was there.”

The judge asked the boy if he had anything else to say, instructing him not to treat her as an idiot, to which he responded he was "really sorry".

Judge McCormack went on to give the boy what she called a "very intensive" 12-month referral order, saying she had to balance her sentence “to see if we can make you an upstanding member of society, and not a yob”.

The boy will also be ordered to wear an electronic tag for three months with a curfew of 7am to 7pm, along with 25 hours per week activity requirement with the youth justice service.

The boy was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to the shop owner.

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.