A teenager has been locked up for kicking and punching a 14-year-old girl in a vicious robbery attempt.

The 17-year-old, who is in local authority care, was sentenced to an eight-month detention and training order at Bradford Crown Court today.

Judge Peter Benson warned him he could be sent behind bars indefinitely if he kept on committing violence offences.

At a previous hearing at Bradford Youth Court, the teenager admitted trying to rob the girl of her phone in a Bradford underpass on February 2.

Judge Benson told the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, it was “a nasty, vicious, cowardly assault” against a defenceless girl.

The judge praised her courage in holding on to the phone that was a Christmas present from her father.

Prosecutor Ben Crosland said magistrates sent the youth to Crown Court for sentence because they considered him dangerous.

He had a string of convictions, including one for racially-aggravated assault by beating. Mr Crosland said that offence arose from a fight at the children’s home where the teenager lived.

After the robbery attempt, the girl was left in pain from a bruised head, split lip, lumps and grazes.

The youth, arrested the next day, had previous convictions for house burglary, damage, battery, dishonesty, a drug offence and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The teenager’s barrister, David McGonigal, said he was resentful after being rejected by his parents and lacked stability in his life.