A teenager threw an “unidentified liquid” at a man who tried to intervene in his attack on another youngster saying, “I will burn your face".

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked the man on Chorley Old Road on December 4 while already on bail for a robbery he committed four days earlier.

Bolton Crown Court heard how during the earlier robbery on November 28 the boy was dressed in black and a balaclava when he reached inside a man’s car on Knott Lane, Doffcocker.

Prosecutor Keira Shaw said: “The man grabbed his hand and said: ‘oi lad, what are you doing?’”

She added: “In response the defendant said ‘you what lad? Are you putting your hands on me?”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Shaw told the court that the boy then revealed he had a machete which he then pointed through the car window.

One of the boy’s associates then assaulted another man who had been in the car.

The 16-year-old boy then attacked the man himself and the two older men fled before calling the police.

The teenager was arrested on November 30 and on searching his bedroom officers found a “large machete style knife”, two balaclavas and a small amount of cannabis.

When interviewed by police the boy gave no comment to all questions put to him and was bailed.

But Ms Shaw told the court that just days later on the afternoon of December 5 a man heard screaming on Chorley Old Road.

He found that the same 16-year-old boy and another young man appeared to be attacking a youngster nearby.

The man tried to scare them off only for the 16-year-old robber to throw a “non-corrosive liquid” at him.

The boy was arrested again and according to Ms Shaw replied “I’m going to jail me, bro” to police.

The 16-year-old, who has one previous conviction for three offences, was found guilty of robbery and possession of a bladed article in a public place after a trial at the youth court.

He admitted to possession of cannabis with intent to supply and eventually pleaded guilty to affray.

Ms Asghar, defending, reminded the court that the boy was only 16 years old and pointed out that the liquid had not in fact been acid or “corrosive".

Addressing the judge, she said: “He is a young man who your honour knows having read reams of literature about this young man, has had an extremely difficult start at life.”

She said that the boy’s life had been “entrenched in transience and trauma” and that he had been exploited by the “open arms of more sophisticated criminals".

Ms Asghar said: “This trapped him, if you like, in a vicious cycle.”

She added: “He does see a future and that above all gives him the gift of hope.”

Judge Abigail Hudson accepted the points about the boy’s youth and difficult history but reminded the court of the seriousness of the robbery.

She also reminded the young defendant of just how serious his attack on the man on Chorley Old Road had been.

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Judge Hudson said: “You threw an unidentified liquid at him saying ‘I will burn your face.’”

She added: “This most have been, frankly, one of the most terrifying experiences anyone could have endured.”

Judge Hudson said that the boy was “entirely damaged” and “visibly lacking in empathy or in the ability to manage your emotions".

She sentenced the boy to four years detention in a young offenders institute with an extended licence period of two years.