A teenager charged with kicking a police officer in the face will spend at least another three weeks in custody after refusing to get on the bus from youth detention to appear before a magistrate.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified, was controversially granted bail earlier this year in a decision slammed by both sides of Victorian politics amid high scrutiny of a series of crimes across Melbourne committed by young men of African appearance.

The bruised eye of the police officer who was assaulted at Highpoint on Boxing Day. Credit:Police Association

The boy was back in custody days after he was granted bail in a children's court in the first week of the year, because he breached a bail condition. It is understood he was caught with a mobile phone within hours of being freed, which defied the magistrate's orders.

The teenager was due to appear before another magistrate on Thursday, but a children's court heard he had refused to get on a bus that was ferrying young people between a youth detention centre and court.