A teenager who shot a boy in the eye at close range with a ball bearing gun for accusing him of stealing his bike has been ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work for the community.

David Russell, 19, targeted his 16-year-old victim in Walker Street, Girlington, Bradford, on April 22 last year.

Prosecutor David Hall told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Russell ran up to the boy at about 2.30pm, blocked his path and fired the gun directly at his face.

The boy was struck by a plastic pellet in his eyeball and fell to the ground. He went to his school and reported the incident to teachers who called the police.

Mr Hall said the boy suffered a scratch to his left eye and a bruised retina. He now needed reading glasses to prevent headaches and blurred vision and he had suffered nightmares about the attack.

He would no longer go into Bradford city centre in case he bumped into Russell.

Russell, of Washington Street, Girlington, Bradford, denied the offence until the day he was set to stand trial.

He was originally charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but his plea of guilty to the less serious allegation of causing grievous bodily harm was accepted by the prosecution.

Adam Walker, Russell’s solicitor advocate, said his client did not intend to shoot the boy in the eye. He was very sorry he had hurt him so badly.

Mr Walker said Russell’s behaviour deteriorated when he was prescribed the anti-hyperactivity drug Ritalin. He had now stopped taking it and had kept out of trouble.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Russell: “I am sure you can go on to be a very good lad and a hard-worker but don’t shoot anyone again. The courts take a dim view of that.”