Court told of teen wrecking spree in Stoke Heath class

Four teenagers caused almost £15,000 worth of damage when they barricaded themselves in a classroom at a Shropshire young offenders institution and went on a wrecking spree, a court heard.

The ringleader was 18-year-old Thomas Neate who barricaded himself and the other youths inside the room at Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton, after forcing a woman teacher to flee, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

The court was yesterday told just a month before the disturbance last November Neate and another inmate caused £3,457 damage to an association room after barricading themselves inside.

Mr Robert Edwards, prosecuting, said Neate stabbed a prison officer in the head with a piece of broken glass in the October incident.

He said the subsequent incident in November was so serious prison staff had to call in a national 'Tornado response team'.

Neate, of Rochdale, Lancashire, previously admitted affray and criminal damage over the November incident.

The same two charges had also been admitted by a 17-year-old from Birmingham who cannot be named for legal reasons and 18-year-olds James Williams, of Newborough, Anglesey, and Jack Berridge, of Lawford Avenue, Wednesfield.

Judge Onions sentenced Neate to 21 months' detention which, the court heard, would start at the end of a 42-month sentence given to him at Bolton Crown Court last September.

Williams and Berridge were each sentenced to 12 months' detention in a young offenders institution while the 17-year-old was made the subject of a 12-month detention and training order.