THE teenager who caused these horrific injuries to Good Samaritan Adam Duxbury has been locked up and ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation.

The 17-year-old thug from Heslington, York, was given a six-month detention and training order by magistrates after hearing how he broke Adam's nose in a vicious assault in Stonebow, York.

But the sentence was blasted today by Adam's mother, who said: ""I think it should have been a lot more severe. I don't think justice has been done."

York Youth Court heard how Adam was attacked after intervening on behalf of a couple in their 80s who were being verbally abused by the 17-year-old.

Magistrates condemned the attack as "appalling" - but turned down an Evening Press request to be able to name the youth in light of the severity of the offence and public interest in seeing justice done. The chairman of the bench said it would be "inappropriate" for him to be identified.

In a statement read out in court, Adam said the youth had punched him, breaking his nose and inflicting heavy facial cuts.

"He hit me several times to my face. I remember being on the pavement with blood pouring out of my nose and mouth."

The teenager initially denied assault, occasioning actual bodily harm, before pleading guilty at his trial last month.

Julian Tanikal, mitigating, said it was "an unpleasant offence" but stressed it was "spontaneous" with no permanent injuries sustained.

He linked the youth's offending to anger management and pressure to impress his peers.

He also said the youth's record, including three convictions for assault and three for affray, showed "a spree of convictions" until a recent community punishment order dramatically curbed his offending.

The youngster told the court: "I regret what I have done. Since then, I have wanted to make progress and get on with my life."

His mother also said his behaviour had improved: "He is a lot calmer and more of a member of our family. We are hoping for a better future together."

But chairman of the bench, Neil Sutcliffe said: "We are appalled at the injuries this lad suffered. It was an unprovoked attack following an equally awful intimidation of an elderly couple. We have details of your previous offences - it is getting to the point were something serious has to be done.

"The offences were so horrific there's no alternative but to send you to custody."

Adam's mother, Joan Duxbury, today blasted the six-month sentence handed to her son's attacker. She the culprit had "picked on people who can't stick up for themselves".

She said her "peacekeeper" son had been "horrified" when the attacker started abusing defenceless pensioners in the bus queue.

His brave intervention and the "vicious" attack that followed left Adam with a cracked bone under his eye and loose teeth as well as a broken nose. She said he now would not go to certain places in York, and said he had left his job at a supermarket.

Updated: 11:01 Wednesday, May 11, 2005