The Albury youth punched the victim repeatedly to both sides of his face before inflicting a kick to his stomach when he went to the ground.

Police and ambulance officers attended soon after the attack at the Thurgoona Plaza car park about 8pm on February 28.

The victim was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a fracture around his left eye which had been pushed back into his skull and needed surgery.

His eyes remained closed for one to two weeks due to the severity of the attack and some teeth were pushed backwards.

Police later spoke to the youth, 16, and he told them he just “lost it”.

He appeared for sentencing yesterday in Albury Children’s Court on a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A charge of affray had previously been withdrawn and magistrate Tony Murray said the youth had not been charged with grievous bodily harm.

But Mr Murray said the injuries meant the attack was at the top end of the scale for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm matter.

The court was told in tendered facts the incident stemmed from the victim contacting the youth’s ex-girlfriend on Facebook.

When the youth saw the victim, he removed his jacket and said: “Get ready for what’s coming for you.”

The victim received at least five blows to the face, but after the attack, the youth helped the victim to his car and told him to drive off.

He was unable to see and asked for a phone to call for help.

Solicitor Shaun Mortimer said the assault was an aberration and the youth knew to walk away in future.

Mr Mortimer said the youth needed counselling for anger management and suggested the maximum period available for probation of two years.

Mr Murray said the incident was too serious for probation and if an adult committed such an attack, a minimum 12 months’ jail would be imposed.

He said it was the first time the youth had appeared in court and he was doing timber studies and carpentry at TAFE.

He said there was a positive pre-sentence report and the primary consideration for juvenile offenders was rehabilitation.

The youth was put on an eight-month suspended control order without conviction.