Boy, 16, admits ‘drunken’ damage

Saturday 7th February 2009, 10:45AM GMT.

A boy whose “drunken spree” of car tyre slashing in a Shropshire town left motorists facing a £10,900 repair bill has been given four months’ training and detention.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons but is from Market Drayton, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Youth Court yesterday.

The court heard the youth intimidated a witness who gave evidence against him during earlier proceedings by damaging his car.

He also threw a shopping basket into Netto in Market Drayton and threatened staff, which amounted to a breach of his anti-social behaviour order, the court was told.

The boy went on to slash 70 car tyres with a knife later the same day.

He committed the offences during a whisky and cannabis-fuelled 24-hours across the town on January 10.

He was not charged for 70 incidents of criminal damage but admitted the matters to police. The offences were taken into consideration by magistrates.

The youth admitted charges of witness intimidation and breaching an anti-social behaviour order at an earlier hearing.

He was given a four month training and detention sentence for the pair of charges.

Described by Mr Neil Campbell, defending, told the bench the boy has drink and drug problems, adding: “It was a drunken spree he remembers very little about it because he had drunk half a bottle of whisky.”

View more: North Shropshire news.