A GIRL who was pushed into a canal before being punched and spat at has been left feeling unable to go out on her own, a court heard.

A 17-year-old boy was sentenced for the assault at Liverpool Youth Court on Wednesday afternoon (November 13).

The court heard that on the evening of April 7, the boy carried out the attack on a girl at the Hotties canal, which left her with "cuts and bruises".

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Her iPhone 6 was smashed and her £350 coat "ripped" as she fell into the canal.

In a victim personal statement which was read in court by prosecutor Christopher Fontaine, it was said how the girl has been left afraid to go out.

He said : "She states the incident really affected me and I have not been out on my own since the incident.

"She says: 'If I am going anywhere near there I make sure I get a lift from my parents and make sure I am with friends' and 'I don't want anything like that to happen again'."

The boy had pleaded guilty on October 4 to assault by beating and one count of criminal damage in relation to the incident after entering an earlier not guilty plea.

Meanwhile, he also pleaded guilty to another count of criminal damage in relation to a separate incident on September 9 when he caused a screen at McDonald's on Church Street to smash after throwing a coin in the direction of a friend.

Mr Fontaine, told the court that on the evening of the assault, the girl victim was with "10 to 15 of her friends" at the Hotties canal at around 8pm.

It was said she had seen the offender previously "four or five times but had never spoken" with her.

Mr Fontaine said the defendant "walked past her and kicked her in the leg.

"She said 'why?' and he pushed her in the chest and she fell into the canal."

After she got out of the water, he "punched her full force in the left side of the jaw".

His friends came and tried to restrain him and he "spat on her face" and also "punched her lip".

Mr Fontaine added, that though the victim had "nothing broken" she had "bruising and cuts".

On the incident at McDonald's, Mr Fontaine said the defendant "threw an object in the direction of his friends which hit one of the screens and caused it to smash and ran away".

The court heard the boy has one previous conviction, for which he received a referral order.

Defending, Paul Potter, said the 17-year-old has faced difficulties and is "still suffering and is still in pain" after suffering a serious assault.

Passing sentence, district judge Andrew Shaw gave the teenager a youth rehabilitation order for a period of 12 months and a curfew for three months, running from 8pm to 8am.

The boy was also ordered to pay £350 in compensation and £40 for the criminal damage.