This is the moment shoppers narrowly avoid being struck by a 15kg sofa launched from the top floor of Westfield shopping centre by a teenage yob. The newly released CCTV footage shows the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, launch from a great height before it slams onto the ground floor.
Incident Details
Shoppers appeared to be in shock as the 15kg round blue sofa ricocheted from the ground after being hurled off a 50ft balcony down several storeys. Three members of the public could be seen jumping slightly forward as the sofa made impact, looking behind in shock at the sofa just mere metres away from them.
Meanwhile, upstairs the 16-year-old quickly sped off as his friend filmed the incident in Westfield shopping centre, in Stratford on March 1, 2025. The teen and his 15-year-old friend were arrested shortly after a video of the incident with the caption 'no way bro almost killed someone' went viral online.
Court Proceedings
The 15-year-old confessed to criminal damage of the £500 sofa chair as well as pleading guilty to recklessly causing a public nuisance. He was handed a 12-month referral order, a three-month doorstep curfew and a £426 fine by Stratford Youth Court on May 20.
Meanwhile, the 16-year-old yob, who threw the chair, also admitted recklessly causing a public nuisance and criminal damage. He was given an eight-month Detention and Training Order by the same court on September 24, 2025.
During his sentencing, it was heard that the 15-year-old offender had been given an antisocial notice for throwing 'pebbles and stones' from the same balcony. He was also barred from entering Westfield.
Matthew Groves, prosecuting, told the court the boy 'never thought the sofa was going to hit anyone'. 'He said he [and the other boy] regularly engage in pranks, including throwing objects off bridges and trains. At the time he thought it was funny...' He described the sofa as a 'large and ungainly item', adding: 'The item thrown was weighed 15kg and the distance it fell was estimated to be 50ft.'
'The sofa very narrowly missed two to three members of the public walking on the lower level, which was still very busy despite it being late in the hour.' After being identified on CCTV, the younger of the duo was interviewed by police and offered up the contact details of his friend who hurled the sofa off the balcony.
Defence Arguments
Nimra Ashraf, defending, argued the 15-year-old was 'peer pressured' into filming the incident by 'more dominant peers'. Ms Ashraf added the boy since expressed remorse, apologising to officers and assuring them he would 'never do that again'. Psychiatrist reports suggest the boy had a 'low level of maturity, emotional dysregulation, and susceptible to peer pressure', Ms Ashraf said. However, he had since 'developed his appreciation of risk and has more mature foresights', she added.
A Youth Justice Service counsellor described the boy's attitude as 'blasé', adding: 'I have had concerns that he is not necessarily taking it seriously, that it's a bit of fun. However, he is fully aware of the consequences, that someone could have been seriously harmed, and he needs to engage with this order and make changes.'
Judge's Remarks
Sentencing the 15-year-old last week, Judge Buttar said: 'This is a case that has attracted a lot of attention. And why wouldn't it? You filmed it and posted it online. When anyone looks at it, it is really hard not to be shocked at what happened. It happened in Westfield Stratford, which is one of the busiest places in London. This happened at 10.30pm but unsurprisingly even though it was late, there were still a lot of people there. There were families, children.'
'You do this order, you go to every appointment they ask you to go to, you get there in time, you behave when you get there, and that'll be the end of it. But if you don't, you're late, you miss your curfew, I've asked youth offending service to bring you back to court immediately and ask you what has happened.' She accepted expert reports suggesting the boy is 'particularly vulnerable to social influences and peer pressure,' adding: 'You still lack some emotional maturity.' The judge added: 'I expect you to make it up to your father... I sincerely hope I don't see you here again. I wish you the best of luck.'
Appeal
Last September, the older boy admitted recklessly causing a public nuisance and criminal damage. He was handed an eight-month detention and training order, of which he will serve half in a secure training facility. But that boy is due to appeal this sentence with a hearing expected at Snaresbrook Crown Court on June 9 of this year. The 16-year-old boy had claimed that he and his friend regularly threw objects off bridges and trains as 'pranks'. He told officers under interview that the incident was 'not that deep' and the worst outcome was somebody needing 'hospital treatment.'
