Two teenagers have been sentenced after their dangerous prank went viral when they threw a 15kg sofa from the upper level of Westfield Stratford City, narrowly missing shoppers below. The incident, captured on CCTV, showed the boys hoisting the furniture over the second-floor balcony on March 1, 2025.
CCTV Captures Near-Fatal Stunt
The 16-year-old and 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were filmed by the younger accomplice. The footage circulated online with the caption 'no way bro almost killed someone,' drawing widespread condemnation from Londoners on social media.
CCTV released after the sentencing revealed the moment the sofa crashed to the ground, just seconds after three shoppers had walked past the exact spot. The shoppers spun around in horror as the chair smashed into the floor. Other witnesses leaped back, frozen with fear, before fleeing in the opposite direction.
Sentences Handed Down
The 15-year-old received a 12-month referral order and a £426 fine at Stratford Youth Court on May 20, 2026, after admitting to criminal damage and recklessly causing a public nuisance. The 16-year-old, who threw the sofa, was fined £41 and given an eight-month Detention and Training Order on September 24, 2025, for the same charges.
Similar incidents have had fatal consequences. In Cheltenham, two teenage boys were arrested on suspicion of murder after a branch was allegedly thrown from a bridge. A cyclist avoided injury, but an elderly man in his 70s who tried to stop the culprits was punched and later died.
Authorities have condemned the reckless behavior, emphasizing the potential for tragedy. The Westfield case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of such stunts.
