A teenage girl who drunkenly caused £800 worth of damage to a taxi office during a 1am mob rampage has been told to pay only £200 compensation after a judge said she could not afford to pay more due to the UK's cost of living crisis.
Summer Downie, then 17, who had been drinking vodka and taking drugs, hurled four bricks through the victims' windows after going berserk with ten friends when one left his mobile phone inside a private hire cab.
During the incident the taxi controller at Goodwins Olympics in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, was assaulted and had to take refuge in an upstairs room as his front windows were put through.
The crazed mob also fought with local shopkeepers who tried to intervene.
When Downie was arrested, she said: ''I threw the bottle, yeah, I broke the window, I did fight some guy on the floor. I did put a brick through the window. I know I did wrong - that's why I ran.''
It emerged the youngster, who claims £230 a month in Universal Credit handouts, had been on a wild night out with friends in the run up to the incident.
At Manchester Crown Court, Downie, now 18 and another teenager Wiktor Ostrowski, also 18, faced compensation bills of £300 pounds each after a third youngster who played a lesser role in the attack paid a £200 contribution toward the cost of the damage.
But Judge Rachel Smith ordered the pair to pay £200 each - leaving the taxi operators £200 out of pocket.
The judge said: ''I'm not going to order that the £600 left be divided between you. There were others involved and I have regard to your ages and means including the fact Summer Downie is on Universal Credit.
''I recognise that people of your age and in the work environment in which you find yourselves are on low incomes with the increasing cost of living that everyone is facing. Young people such as yourselves with increasing National Insurance and the cost of living crisis will find this a challenging demand in any event.''
But she added: ''This was a prolonged and appalling outbreak of unprovoked violence directed towards the owner of and drivers of the taxi service for reasons which were wholly unjustified. There was risk of significant injury being caused by missiles or broken glass.
''Your behaviour was fuelled by drink and drugs and the victims were people working in public facing roles, working anti-social hours and who are entitled to work without fear of violence being meted out in their general direction.''
Downie will have to pay the cash at the rate of £15 a month over the next 14 months whilst Ostrowski who is self employed will pay his share within three months.
The incident began at 12.50am on April 17 last year after Downie and Ostrowski had been out together socialising in Manchester.
Prosecutor Miss Eleanor Gleeson said: ''Both had claimed they had been in a cab earlier that day and had been trying to ring the office.
''The taxi dispatcher explained the phone lines were down that evening but the two defendants said they did not care and wanted their phone back. They then entered the taxi office and pushed the dispatcher who was hit in the face causing his glasses to fall to the floor.
''They then started to throw punches at the victim who pushed the defendants back in a bid to protect himself - however the defendants continued to slap and punch him. Hey got them on the street but the defendant began kicking the door before Ostrowski reached through the hatch in an attempt to pull the computer out.
''At this point ten people appeared with the group of males and females attacking local shopkeepers who owned local stores across the road. One female threw a bottle at them whilst they tried to push then back.
''One of the taxi operators rang the police but one of the males began spitting at the window of the office and the operator could hear pebbles and bottles hitting the external window.
''He then saw Downie hurl a brick which smashed the glass and a minute later another brick came through the window.
''The taxi operator was fearful the group might come through the broken window and thought about hiding upstairs as the crowd continued to push and shove each other outside. Police arrived and the group started run away.
''Downie tried to run away twice from officers before being arrested. She said she had been out for a drink with friends and she joined in the fighting. She accepted she was kicking and punching at people but did know who they were. She threw four bricks through two windows.''
When detained, Ostrowski told one constable: ''Handcuff me officer - please arrest me. You're obviously here for me.''
He later admitted he had been drinking heavily and lost his phone and bank card and believed he had lost it in a taxi. He said his memory was 'fuzzy' and was not sure how the incident started.
Two double glazed windows and an office wall were damaged.
Downie, of Withington, and Ostrowski, of Fallowfield, admitted affray and were each ordered to complete a 30 month community order plus 200 hours unpaid work and 25 Rehabilitation Requirement Days.
She had no previous offences on her record whilst he had a previous conviction for of possessing a knife.
In mitigation for Downie, defence counsel Brett Wilson said his client had since been job hunting in the care, cleaning and hospitality sector and had mental health issues.
He added: ''She is remorseful for her actions and has managed to abstain from alcohol. That evening she got in with the wrong crowd, taken some substances and had been drinking.
''She has a troubled upbringing and has a rocky relationship with her mother. She is willing to make a contribution to the compensation and make reparations for the damage.''
For Ostrowski, Thomas Worsfold said: ''He admits his behaviour was stupid and he should not have got involved.''
Ethan Quinn, 18, of Stretford was given a 12 month community order with 200 hours unpaid work and an order to pay £200 compensation after he admitted affray at an earlier hearing.
