A boy convicted of bludgeoning chickens to death at Castle Hill Infant School in Ipswich has been ordered to pay out more than £200.

Two boys, who were 13 at the time of the offence and cannot be named for legal reasons, were convicted of causing criminal damage at the school in Dryden Road during the incident in January 2019.

Prosecutor Ian Devine, at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, said the two chickens were “bludgeoned to death” after being allowed to escape from their enclosure.

Both boys were charged with burglary and criminal damage after the incident on Saturday, January 19, though the charges for burglary were later dropped.

The boy who was sentenced on Thursday denied both charges, claiming someone of a similar build and dressed in almost identical clothing had been responsible.

Mr Devine showed the court CCTV footage of the two boys, along with a third male not subject to proceedings, outside a shop in the Castle Hill area at 1.11pm on the afternoon of the incident.

The court was then shown further footage of three boys climbing over the gates of the school before scaling a single-storey building and descending on an enclosure holding seven chickens.

Mr Devine said: “The chickens were allowed to escape.

“Two were killed, one injured and two fled - never to be found.”

Mr Devine added that two chickens were “bludgeoned to death” after they were allowed to escape from the enclosure.

A broom handle was found near their bodies, which were discovered by a caretaker at the school the following Monday.

The boy sentenced on Thursday maintained he was not at the school with the other two youths, claiming he went to play football on the nearby field.

However, he was found guilty by the bench and was sentenced to a nine-month youth rehabilitation order with supervision requirements.

He was also ordered to participate in a ‘righting wrongs’ programme and a ten-day activity requirement, as well as paying a £20 victim surcharge and £200 in costs.

The other boy, also now aged 14, admitted causing criminal damage and is awaiting sentencing next month.

MORE: Boys, 14, ‘bludgeoned chickens to death’ on grounds of infant school