TWO teenagers who gave a 13-year-old girl a "kicking" in what a judge slammed as an appalling attack are both behind bars.

Cherisse Newton, 16, who had earlier threatened to kill somebody and cut a woman with a five-inch bladed knife, was sent to detention for 13 months, after a judge acknowledged his powers of sentence were limited because of her age.

Gemma McHugh, 17, who had admitted jumping on the victim's head, was sentenced to 15 months.

Sentencing the duo, who both sobbed in the dock at Burnley Crown Court, Judge Raymond Bennett said the attack on the girl was "appalling" and nobody hearing the facts could be anything other than horrified.

Newton, of Fountains Way, Oswaldtwistle, and McHugh, of Avondale Mews, Darwen, both admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. Newton also pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and making a threat to kill.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said both defendants had been drinking lager before the assault in May, which took place in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, at 11pm.

Newton pushed the 13-year-old girl down some steps and halfway down she was punched and knocked to the ground. Newton accused the girl of "grassing her up," over another incident, hit her and asked: "Did that hurt?"

She was then attacked by both Newton and McHugh. As the girl shouted for them to stop she was told to shut up and kicked. The assault came to an end when a girl who worked at a nearby pub and her boyfriend intervened. The victim, who was partially clothed, was taken to a nearby house, then to her own home and then to hospital.

When the victim arrived at hospital, she was very upset, cut and bruised. She was given a morphine injection and kept in hospital for four days. Afterwards, she suffered headaches and dizziness and had sleeping problems for several weeks.

Mr Lamberty said earlier that night, Newton, screaming hysterically, caused three cuts to a woman's hand, after arming herself with a bread knife. Newton then ran from the house and threw the knife away.

Anthony Cross, defending Newton, said the offences were "terrible, terrible crimes," and the defendant was sorry.

Mark Stuart, defending McHugh, said the defendant had not gone looking for trouble. She was foolish to join in. McHugh had had a difficult upbringing, but had not been involved in violence before.

She had had too much to drink and let loyalty dictate her actions.

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