AN East Devon youth who assaulted his ex-partner in front of her children has been ordered to pay her �50 in compensation.

AN East Devon youth who assaulted his ex-partner in front of her children has been ordered to pay her �50 in compensation.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted attacking the woman in her home on March 23.

Prosecuting, David Burges said the youth had texted and called the victim before going to her home, where he told her he loved her and wanted their relationship to continue.

He then grabbed her, pinning her to the bed and head butted her.

A cigarette came into contact with her finger and burned her - the youth acknowledged he may have knocked it.

In the victim's statement, she said: "He pinned me down and said 'so you think you're a hard little girl? Talk to me'."

She alleged he put the cigarette out on her hand while using abusive language and threatening to kill her.

The head butt was said to have caused her a headache and reddening of the skin.

The children then started screaming, at which point the youth started crying and apologising.

In her statement, the victim said: "No one has the right or permission to assault me. I have been trying to get away from him, but he wouldn't let it go."

In mitigation, the court heard the couple had been in a relationship for two to three months and the woman was several years older.

The youth was said to have accepted his behaviour was unacceptable, but that he did not intend to hurt the victim and was now having counselling for anger management.

The court was told the woman had, in fact, contacted the youth through Facebook and that the children, although in the house, had been in another room.

The youth told the court: "I regret doing it. She was talking to me and we got back in a relationship in February. I don't want to know her any more. I want to sort my life out."

The youth was told had he been 18, he would have been looking at a custodial sentence. Instead, Central Devon Magistrates' Court issued him with a restraining order not to contact the victim for six months. He was also given a referral order for the same time period.