Tina is fifteen. She has lots of friends, both inside and outside school and is well liked. She is lively, funny and likes to be the centre of things. She has never been in any trouble with the police, but has quite a temper when things don’t go her way.

Until quite recently, Tina was going out with a guy called Sam from year twelve. Sam and Tina were quite a cool couple until Sam decided that Tina was getting to serious and too possessive. Sam finished with Tina one night when they were at the youth club.

Tina pretended that she didn’t care, but went home and ‘broke her heart’ crying. Her friends told her Sam was not worth getting upset about, but one of them ‘let slip’ that she had seen him with a girl Sarah, from year 10.

Tina was absolutely furious. She started to spread nasty rumours about Sarah and shouted names after her down the corridors at school. She encouraged her friends to do the same thing.

Things finally came to a head late one Friday night after youth club. Tina was in a foul mood when she saw Sarah walk in with Sam. She waited a while until Sarah went to the toilet and then followed her. Tina told everyone, except her friends, to leave the toilets and then set about Sarah. She grabbed her hair and pushed her against the wall, telling her to ‘leave my boyfriend alone’. None of Tina’s friends tried to help Sarah, but she managed to push Tina aside and fled from the toilets.

The youth leader, who had been alerted by the other frightened girls, called for the Police. Sarah was very distressed, shaken and frightened.

This was the offence of assault.