Court orders curfew for Vernon teen guilty of two violent assaults

A few months before a 14-year-old Vernon girl jumped a one-time friend outside a house party, she turned up at Clarence Fulton Secondary School looking to fight another friend she had a beef with.

The 14-year-old tracked her friend down to the bathroom and once inside the busy washroom confronted her.

After a minute of talking face-to-face, the 14-year-old lunged forward punching her one-time friend hard in the face. She kept punching rapidly as her victim fell to the ground trying to protect herself. On the ground with her hands around her head, the 14-year-old continued punching violently with each arm.

She hit her victim more than 16 times until it was broken up 10 seconds later.

And just like many aspects of teenagers’ lives, the graphic violence was filmed, and then widely shared over social media.

On June 5, the 14-year-old sat in a Vernon courtroom having pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.

The court appearance comes four months after her co-accused was in a fight outside a party and was sentenced to 12 months probation.

In that case, another teenage girl was sucker-punched in the head outside a house party in February 2024 by a 17-year-old attacker. The 14-year-old joined in as the two girls repetitively kicked their one-time friend while she lay on the ground.

Again, the fight was filmed and widely shared.

Judge Michelle Daneliuk said filming the events revictimized the targets of the assaults and glorified the violence.

She said it was a “cowardly act” that she continued kicking when her victim was on the ground.

Few details were given about why the teen had initiated and attacked two of her friends. It was later said it was over a boy.

The judge said the ongoing bullying and harassment of the victims was worse than the cuts and bruises they were left with.

In one instance, the aggressor and a group of friends had waited for the victim outside of a gym and she had to be escorted by her coach to stay safe.

One of the victims had changed schools and moved neighbourhoods to get away from the bullying and harassment.

Crown prosecutor Margaret Cissell wanted the teen to make a public apology and post it on social media.

However, as all the names of those involved are minors and covered under a blanket publication ban, the judge said it would be impossible to do.

It also appears any apology is worthless.

The court heard how the aggressor didn’t feel bad for violently attacking her friends and justified it.

“She does not like her and she does not want to apologize,” the court heard.

Judge Daneliuk said while youth do have diminished moral culpability, sentences still have to have “meaningful consequences.”

Little was said about the attacker’s life, but the judge said she was “extremely concerned” she was missing a large amount of school.

She’s been described as “highly capable but perhaps lacking motivation.”

Ultimately, Judge Daneliuk sentenced the teen to 12 months probation and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for six months.