A Court has heard how a 15-year-old boy threw a piece of wood which hit an elderly woman in the face, fracturing her cheekbone.

Joyce Wood, who is in her 70s, suffered "horrendous'' facial injuries in the attack in May this year, prosecutor Peter Winship told Bradford Youth Court.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted causing actual bodily harm. He was remanded to the care of the local authority and will be sentenced in a few weeks' time after a report has been prepared on him.

Mr Winship said three boys took a short-cut home along a narrow alleyway close to Kelvin Way, Undercliffe, Bradford.

The alleyway led to private gardens and the boys were seen by the occupants of the nearby houses.

Mrs Wood's brother-in-law, Clement, went outside to remonstrate with them, but they began verbally abusing him. One of the boys bent down and picked up what looked like a stone and threw it.

In a statement, Mr Wood said he turned round to find his sister-in-law laid on the floor.

Mrs Wood said in her statement that one of the boys picked something up and flung it towards her brother-in-law, but he bent down to pick up the dog and she was hit instead.

She told police: "I felt just like the inside of my head had exploded.''

She was taken to hospital, where it was found she had a fractured left cheekbone and bruising and swelling to her face.

After he was arrested, the boy said he had not intended to hit anyone. He claimed he threw the wood towards a tree but it was blown back in a curve.

In a separate hearing, an 11-year-old boy who was at the scene of the attack but was not involved in it, was conditionally discharged for a year.

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