The former head boy of a leading North East school attacked a fellow pupil leaving her with a broken arm, a court has heard.

Jonathon Noble, 18, was ordered to pay his victim �1,000 and serve a 60-hour community punishment.

A-Level student Gillian Weatherstone's arm broke in two places after she was sent falling down stairs at a house party during their exams this summer, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

While he went on to secure the grades he needed to gain a place at Cambridge University, his victim did not get the results she wanted and is now retaking her A-Levels next month.

Serious impact

At a previous hearing Noble, of Lyndhurst Court, Low Fell, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to assault, after denying grievous bodily harm.

He was head boy of Emmanuel City Technology College, Gateshead, which has a strong Christian ethos.

Tim Parkin, prosecuting, said Noble told police he had not meant to push Miss Weatherstone down the stairs and merely wanted to scare her.

The defendant could not explain what had caused him to attack his fellow pupil.

Christopher Knox, for the defendant, said the court proceedings had affected his client badly and had a serious impact on his first term at university.

Judge Tim Hewitt ordered Noble to compensate Miss Weatherstone and pay �400 costs.

Exam performance

He told the defendant: "It seems to me in all these circumstances it would be wholly disproportionate to impose a custodial sentence for this, your first and probably only brush with the criminal law, not withstanding the seriousness of the injury you did to Gillian."

After the case Miss Weatherstone said she had not expected a jail sentence, but thought it would have been "just".

She could not explain why she was attacked, but branded Noble "a strange lad" who did not have the full social life she enjoyed at school.

She said the injury, although not to her writing arm, had affected her exam performance.