A TEENAGER was warned she risks spending more time behind bars if she continues to fail to comply with a court order.

The 17-year-old woman was given a 12-month detention and training order at Durham Crown Court on April 27 last year, after admitting unlawful wounding and possessing an offensive weapon in public.

Half of the sentence was to be spent in detention, followed by six months supervised by the Youth Offending Service.

It stemmed from an attack she carried out as a 16-year-old, on a woman walking home from a New Year party, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, early on January 1, 2012.

The court was told she struck the woman in the face and arm while holding a small knife protruding between her fingers.

Her victim received facial and nasal wounds which were treated with stitches at hospital, but she also suffered longer-term scars plus some nerve damage to an arm and hand as a result of the attack.

In mitigation, the court was told the defendant had been drinking, and, fearing she was to be attacked, armed herself with the knife for protection.

The court heard she has a previous conviction for assault, for which she received a youth rehabilitation order in January 2011.

She was back before the court today (Wednesday February 13) after failing to comply with the supervision element of the sentence, since her release after six months’ detention on October 26.

It led to her being ordered to serve the remainder of the original sentence in custody by magistrates sitting on February 1.

Appealing against the magistrates’ order, her barrister, Liam O’Brien, told the court she has found the last 12 days “difficult” as she was previously in a secure unit, but has recently been held with older detainees in a young offenders’ institution.

Mr O’Brien said “significant work” needs to be carried out with the Youth Offenders’ Service so she can adjust to living independently in the community at the end of the sentence.

Upholding the appeal, Recorder Simon Brown QC, sitting with two magistrates, said it was “understandable” why the bench took such a course.

“We’ll allow the appeal to see if anything can be done between now and April."

Addressing the defendant, he said: “If you fail to comply you will face serving the rest of the sentence in custody.”

He ordered her to pay £25 costs.