A FUMING teen thrust a pole through the caravan window – breaking the eye socket of the man inside.

Lester Bennett, 18, was part of a group that went round to Asa Price’s caravan in Royal Wootton Bassett on August 29, 2018.

Prosecutor Colin Meeke told Swindon Crown Court: “Asa Price is a young man who had bought some drugs he says from two people including this defendant.

“He said it was pretty poor-quality stuff and he told them he wouldn’t pay for it.

“This defendant seems to have taken umbrage at that. Mr Price was at home in his caravan with friends when he saw this defendant and others approaching.

“He says he went into the trailer to get something to protect himself with. As he went back out he saw this defendant and others were armed with metal poles.

“He tried to lock himself in the trailer. The windows were being smashed.”

Bennett pushed a brass-coloured pole through one of the windows. It caught Mr Price’s eye with such force that it broke his eye socket.

“He felt blood running down his face,” Mr Meeke said.

“He saw a hand reaching through the broken window, trying to open the door.” He punched at the hand until the person reaching through the glass had run off.

The caravan was wrecked. Every window had been smashed and Mr Price’s family was forced to scrap the mobile home.

In social media messages apparently sent from Bennett’s account, the teen admitted he was responsible for the crime.

Bennett, of Reids Piece, Purton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Emma Handslip, defending, said her client had been just 17 at the time of the assault. He had stayed out of trouble ever since and had no previous convictions.

The youngster had had a difficult start in life and had been diagnosed with an attachment disorder. But he was now living with his step-mother and was more settled.

Judge Jason Taylor QC spared him an immediate spell behind bars, instead sentencing him to 15 months imprisonment suspended for two years. He must complete 275 hours of unpaid work, up to 15 rehabilitation days and pay £1,600 compensation and £200 costs.

“You were aggrieved and you believed money was owed so you chose to go to the home of the person who owed the money, along with a number of males to confront him. Unsurprisingly he was frightened because he was outnumbered,” Judge Taylor said.

The judge warned Bennett to keep out of trouble. He said of the suspended sentence: “It’s hanging over you. If you commit any further offences in the next two years the presumption is that suspended sentence will be activated and you will go to prison.”