A teenager boy from Ilford who admitted spitting on a police war memorial in Forest Gate has been let off with a conditional discharge.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty on Monday to criminal damage to property valued under £5,000.
The incident happened on May 10 this year, Stratford Youth Court heard.
The boy had been arrested swiftly after vandalising the memorial stone set in the grounds of Forest Gate Police Station, in Romford Road.
He was traced through his DNA.
Though the teenager offered no comment when interviewed, he told an officer what he had done was “stupid” and that he “would not to do it again”.
Calling his actions “not just disrespectful, but despicable”, District Judge Sims handed him a conditional discharge for 12 months.
The boy must also pay compensation of £75, to be repaid at a rate of £2.50 a week.
Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker, said: “I hope that this sentence warns other against vandalism of any type. This act was particularly disrespectful against officers who selflessly gave their lives in the Great War.”
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