Mum who flew to Ibiza while son, 12, in court, ordered to pay compensation

• Our correspondent Mel Barham sent this report from outside Manchester Magistrates court.

A mum of a 12-year-old who flew to Ibiza instead of accompanying her son to court over riot charges has been reprimanded by a judge - who called her son's behaviour "feral".

The 30-year-old single mother, who was summoned to court alongside the boy - one of Britain's youngest criminals involved in the summer riots - was fined £1,200 the same cost as her holiday to the Spanish island.

After an hour-long hearing, District Judge Joanne Hirst also ordered the mother to take part in a six-month parenting course. Fining her she told her: “You know it’s approximately the same cost as your holiday to Ibiza.”

The judge told the youngster, at Manchester Magistrates Court, he had been involved in “the worst type of feral behaviour in our country”.

She added that if he was an adult, he would be going to jail for up to five years, but she was giving him a “chance” and instead ordered him to complete a 12-month referral order.

The boy, who has ADHD, was described as a “lovely affection little boy,” by his mother, but who had at times a “chaotic” home life.

He told the judge he was “sorry”, now had help from social workers and had taken up boxing.

The court was told the boy's mother had decided to fly abroad for a five-day sunshine break, the day before he was due to appear in court at the beginning of September for sentence after admitting two counts of violent disorder.

The boy had been accompanied by his uncle but Judge Hirst said the mother’s actions left her, “frankly astonished” and at the hearing on 2 September, said she would summon the woman to court to explain herself.

In court, the judge asked the mother: “Can you explain your point of view?"

The mother said she spoke with her solicitor and the Youth Justice team, adding: “It was not put to me how much I needed to be there. Each one said, ‘Is there an appropriate adult?’ My brother – which is why I went on holiday.”

After speaking to his mother, the court was shown video footage of his offences.

The boy had ridden his bike in front of the bus, forcing it to stop, as it passed a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Manchester on 31 July.

The boy then kicked the bus as a mob attacked the vehicle and the driver of the bus, leaving passengers, one a resident of the hotel, terrified.

Days later on 3 August the boy, wearing a balaclava, was in Manchester city centre, where he knocked over shelves in a Sainsbury’s store as it was looted then kicked the glass door of a vape shop as others tried to break into the premises.

Dozens of towns and cities saw violence erupt following the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July.

Catherine Baird, defending, told the court the youngster had no previous convictions, adding: “This is a child. He simply got wrapped up, surrounded by peers, many of them were adults. Custody would do more harm than good.”

The judge asked him directly about his behaviour.

“It’s horrible. I’m just worried that I might get, like… jailed.”

She told the mixed-race youngster the hotel was for asylum seekers and asked if he had ever suffered racism and how it made him feel.

“One time. Really sad.”

Asked what he would say to the asylum seekers, he replied: “I would not know exactly what to say, but I would say sorry.”

The mother was ordered to pay £300 each to the bus driver, a housing officer at the asylum hotel, an asylum seeker who was on the attacked bus and a member of staff at the looted Sainsbury’s store.