UK teen jailed eight months after hurling 15kg seat from Westfield Stratford

A 16-year-old boy who cannot be named was sentenced to eight months in custody after he hurled a 15kg blue chair from the top floor of the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London on March 1, narrowly missing pedestrians on the lower level. The chair fell about 50 feet to the floor below, nearly striking shoppers as they moved through the busy mall. A video of the moment, posted with the caption No way bro almost killed someone, helped police identify the defendants and sparked swift action.

Prosecutor Noel Shaw told Stratford Youth Court that there was a realistic risk of extremely serious injury or death to someone completely unrelated to the defendants. The footage shows the teenager, wearing a grey hoodie, throwing what authorities described as a heavy piece of furniture over a balcony. He admitted to throwing the object and said the incident was not deep, adding that the worst outcome he could imagine would be someone needing hospital treatment. He also disclosed that he and his co-defendant regularly threw objects off bridges and trains as pranks. The 16-year-old later pleaded guilty to recklessly causing a public nuisance and criminal damage. The accompanying 14-year-old friend denies both charges and is due to stand trial on December 2.

Wearing a black Nike T-shirt, the 16-year-old appeared in the dock at Stratford Youth Court accompanied by a Somali interpreter. The prosecution highlighted the severity of the act, noting that there were several pedestrians beneath the balcony and that the object landed on a walkway where people typically walk. The courtroom heard that the boy picked up what was described as a sofa or heavy stool and hurled it over the balcony, with the impact felt on the ground floor. The defendant told police that he intended to cause damage and that he acted recklessly, acknowledging that someone could have been seriously harmed. He expressed remorse, telling investigators that he was sorry and seeking a chance to rehabilitate himself.

Mark Tooley, the 16-year-old’s lawyer, said the act was a misguided attempt to show off and argued for a focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. He described the defendant as immature and still developing, stressing that the aim should be to guide him toward responsible behaviors rather than criminal confinement alone. The lawyer emphasized that the individual was not fully mature and that rehabilitation was the key to preventing a recurrence.

District Judge Shanta Deonarine said the offences were so serious that custodial detention was the only appropriate sentence. She acknowledged that there was no physical harm in the incident, but she noted that watching the event could cause psychological distress among shoppers navigating the centre. She described the act as an intentional, deliberate act involving a heavy object thrown from a high vantage point, noting that at least four people were underneath at the time and narrowly escaped injury due to the object’s trajectory and the physics of it gathering force as it fell.

The judge highlighted mitigating factors, including the defendant’s intellectual functioning, which she described as low and impaired, before handing down an eight-month detention and training order. Half of that term will be served in a secure training facility. There was no order for costs, but the standard surcharge of £41 was imposed. The 16-year-old looked briefly at his parents in court as he was led away by security staff. The 15-year-old friend remains charged and will face trial on December 2, with the outcome of that case not yet determined.

Public safety officials and legal observers have underscored that pranks causing real danger in crowded public spaces can result in serious consequences, including custodial sentences for youths whose actions threaten the well-being of bystanders. Westfield Stratford City, one of London’s largest shopping centres, has long emphasized safety protocols for patrons, and authorities say the case serves as a stark reminder of the harm that reckless acts can pose to the public. The incident also drew renewed attention to the role of social media in amplifying and accelerating judgments about behavior, with viral footage prompting police attention and swift legal action.