Shropshire Star

Judge's warning to 'chaotic' Telford teenage woman over knife incidents

A teenage woman from Telford who was caught three times in a week wandering the streets carrying a kitchen knife has been spared jail.

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Bethany Hill, 18, from York Flats in Wellington, thought she was "untouchable" during a week of "just chaos" in which she was bailed twice only to be found on the streets by police carrying a weapon again.

She was also caught shoplifting, assaulted police officers, and made calls to police threatening to shoot or stab officers.

Judge Simon Tonking said he wanted to "help" the troubled teen before warning her she would almost certainly be going to jail if she came before the courts again. He told her she had "got off very lightly".

Mr Philip Brunt, prosecuting at Shrewsbury Crown Court, said on January 17 Hill and a friend stole two bottles of alcohol from Tesco in Wellington before smashing a window causing £100 of damage at the YMCA.

Shortly after police received a call from Hill making threats, including "shooting them in the face" or "stabbing them in the neck" if they came near her. She was detained by officers and a large kitchen knife was found down the front of her trousers. While in custody she punched one officer in the shin and threw a cup of hot chocolate over another.

She was bailed but arrested again on January 20 and 24 in possession of the same knife. She told officers she was carrying it for her "own protection against rapists".

Mr Dean Easthope, for Hill, said she had been in custody for nearly three weeks.

He said: "It was a week of just chaos in her life, she thought she was just untouchable. The two-and-a half weeks she has spent in custody have been the worst in her life."

Hill admitted three charges of having a blade in a public place, one of shoplifting, one of criminal damage, one of sending a public message that was grossly offensive and two counts of assault.

She was given to a 12-month community order, with the requirement that she must be supervised by the probation service.

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