Two 14-year-old girls who kicked a girl until she was battered and bruised in a sickening attack have been given youth referral orders.

The girls pleaded guilty to assaulting a 14-year-old girl at a playground in Henbury Way, South Oxhey, on Sunday March 3.

The victim was subjected to a brutal 30-minute ordeal in which she was dragged around by the hair and repeatedly punched and kicked in the face.

Hillingdon Times:

At one point, the attackers took a break before pouring a bottle of fizzy drink over the girl, and kicked her in the face while she was blinded.

The girl was left with a burst blood vessel in her eye, extensive bruising from her elbow to her shoulder, and a cut nose and lip.

Hillingdon Times:

Fizzy drink is poured over the defenceless girl

The assault was captured on video, which was seen by the Observer - and the 15-year-old boy from Rickmansworth who took the video, has been sentenced too for encouraging the attack.

St Albans Youth Court heard how the victim was lured to the playground after being messaged by one of the 14-year-old girls. When she was there, she was confronted and attacked.

The footage was played out in court on June 19 and the judge saw how the victim tried to put up her hands to defend herself.

It is believed the two girls, from South Oxhey, conspired to carry out the attack following a previous minor disagreement.

All three defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were given a 12-month youth referral order and a 12-month restraining order which prevents them from making contact with the victim. They will also have to pay £500 each in compensation to the victim.

The referral means they must appear before a panel made up of community volunteers who put together a contract of conditions, which the teenagers must adhere to.

Back in March, Three Rivers Chief Inspector Nick Lillitou said his officers would do all they could to identify the suspects and "bring them to justice".

Following sentencing, Ch Insp Lillitou said: "My team has worked incredibly hard for a number of months to investigate and gather evidence in connection with this assault, distressing footage of which circulated on social media in the days after.

"We are pleased with the outcome and I want to reassure the community that all of my officers are fully aware of these young peoples’ identities and will deal robustly with any breach of their referral and restraining order conditions respectively.

"We have fully engaged with and supported the victim and her family throughout the case’s progress. We hope this sentence serves as closure for them and they are now able to move forward."

  • The two girls each pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and the boy pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally encouraging/assisting the commission of an offence

The teenagers cannot be named publicly as those under the age of 18 are granted automatic anonymity under Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Breaching this anonymity is a criminal offence for which you can be prosecuted.