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| Bank wants £40,000 from G20 girl | Bank wants £40,000 from G20 girl |
| (4 days later) | |
| The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has demanded £40,000 compensation from a 17-year-old girl who admitted attacking a branch during G20 protests in London. | The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has demanded £40,000 compensation from a 17-year-old girl who admitted attacking a branch during G20 protests in London. |
| The girl, who cannot be named, admitted burglary and criminal damage when protesters targeted the Threadneedle Street branch of the RBS on 1 April. | The girl, who cannot be named, admitted burglary and criminal damage when protesters targeted the Threadneedle Street branch of the RBS on 1 April. |
| Prosecution counsel told West London Youth Court the bank wanted to recover the losses incurred during the protest. | Prosecution counsel told West London Youth Court the bank wanted to recover the losses incurred during the protest. |
| The girl, who lives in Brighton, was given an eight-month referral order. | The girl, who lives in Brighton, was given an eight-month referral order. |
| As part of her sentence she may be asked to pay a smaller sum of compensation to RBS. | As part of her sentence she may be asked to pay a smaller sum of compensation to RBS. |
| RBS have gone for compensation in the sum of £40,000 - in my view, this is wholly unjustified Miranda Ching, defence counsel | RBS have gone for compensation in the sum of £40,000 - in my view, this is wholly unjustified Miranda Ching, defence counsel |
| Prosecutor Ann Crighton said three plate glass windows were broken and several pieces of computer hardware, which cost an estimated £40,000, were stolen. | Prosecutor Ann Crighton said three plate glass windows were broken and several pieces of computer hardware, which cost an estimated £40,000, were stolen. |
| Police saw the girl smashing a computer monitor with a keyboard and flinging the keyboard against a window, breaking it. | Police saw the girl smashing a computer monitor with a keyboard and flinging the keyboard against a window, breaking it. |
| Mrs Crighton said: "She admits breaking through the police cordon and said she had done so to rescue some of her friends who had been contained in a police 'kettle'. | Mrs Crighton said: "She admits breaking through the police cordon and said she had done so to rescue some of her friends who had been contained in a police 'kettle'. |
| "At the time she got caught up in the heat of the moment. She thought it would be a good idea to go into the [bank's] foyer. | "At the time she got caught up in the heat of the moment. She thought it would be a good idea to go into the [bank's] foyer. |
| "When she got inside she thought it would be a better idea to smash up the computer. | "When she got inside she thought it would be a better idea to smash up the computer. |
| "She said she changed her mind and tried to throw the computer through the window instead. | "She said she changed her mind and tried to throw the computer through the window instead. |
| "She was seen picking up a keyboard and smashing a window," Mrs Crighton said. | "She was seen picking up a keyboard and smashing a window," Mrs Crighton said. |
| 'Other people' | 'Other people' |
| Defence solicitor, Miranda Ching, said that the girl, who was born in Scotland, was unemployed and lived on handouts from friends and family. | Defence solicitor, Miranda Ching, said that the girl, who was born in Scotland, was unemployed and lived on handouts from friends and family. |
| "RBS have gone for compensation in the sum of £40,000. In my view, this is wholly unjustified. | "RBS have gone for compensation in the sum of £40,000. In my view, this is wholly unjustified. |
| "It may well be that a substantial amount of criminal damage was caused as a whole by other people on 1 April. | "It may well be that a substantial amount of criminal damage was caused as a whole by other people on 1 April. |
| "We must look at what my client is charged with and that is IT equipment. | "We must look at what my client is charged with and that is IT equipment. |
| "That seems to be, at most, one computer keyboard and one computer monitor," she said. | "That seems to be, at most, one computer keyboard and one computer monitor," she said. |
| The court heard that the teenager, who was introduced to political activism by her stepfather at an early age, had participated in a series of protests across Britain. | The court heard that the teenager, who was introduced to political activism by her stepfather at an early age, had participated in a series of protests across Britain. |