A teenager who took part in a “flour bombing” attack on a woman in Bury St Edmunds has been sentenced to 42 months in a youth detention centre for a series of drug and violent offences.

East Anglian Daily Times: Cohan Semple arriving at Suffolk Magistrates' Court for an earlier hearing. Picture: ARCHANTCohan Semple arriving at Suffolk Magistrates' Court for an earlier hearing. Picture: ARCHANT

Cohan Semple, 18, of Wilcox Avenue, Bury St Edmunds had previously admitted to using threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour while taking part in an attack where eggs and flour were thrown at a 49-year-old woman on July 27 last year.

He was given a 12-month community order, 60 hours of unpaid work and a 20-hour rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation.

Today, Semple was sentenced for a range of drug offences and an assault on a 'vulnerable' man at Suffolk Crown Court, Ipswich after being arrested on three separate occasions in 2018.

He was initially stopped by police on April 27, 2018 after being found with a crowbar, but officers later found him in possession of a range of drugs.

He pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft or burglary, possession of MDMA with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of cocaine.

For these offences he was given a 20-month detention sentence.

He was then stopped on August 11 where officers again found him with a quantity of drugs.

An initial search of his person found seven wraps of MDMA and when officers entered his home, they found a further 29 wraps.

He pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of cocaine and was given a 30 month detention sentence which will run concurrently with the previous sentence.

An ABH charge was brought against Semple after he was arrested alongside another man, Sam Mills, 20, of no fixed address on October 15 on suspicion of assaulting Matthew Banks.

Mills admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Banks and was sentenced to 48 months in jail at an earlier hearing.

Semple pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm at Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich on March 12.

David Wilson, prosecutor, described how Semple could be seen on CCTV kicking once at the chest area of the "vulnerable victim" who had already been knocked over.

He then "stood on the shoulder or neck" of the victim while Mills kicked him on the ground.

He was today sentenced to 12 months for the assault, which will run consecutively - meaning he will now spend a total of 42 months in a youth detention centre.

Isobel Ascherson, defending, told the court how Semple had been "self-medicating mental health issues" by taking illicit drugs from spring to autumn 2018.

She said that Semple had improved in 2019, getting a full-time job and a place at a college in Cambridgeshire.