Prestatyn boy detained for four months after outburst

Jun 4 2008 by Martin Williams, Rhyl Visitor

A BOY of 16 from Prestatyn has been detained for four months after losing his temper with a supervisor overseeing his unpaid community work.

Following the flare-up, the probation service refused to have anything more to do with the Prestatyn boy who, according to his solicitor, clearly had serious psychiatric and anger management problems.

In January the youth was ordered to carry out 200 hours work for two offences of common assault and causing criminal damage and he had completed 77 hours when the row occurred on April 21.

Prestatyn youth court was told that the boy was helping to clean a river and despite warnings his clothes became increasingly wet so he was taken home to change at lunchtime.

In the afternoon he refused to put on protective clothing and launched a tirade of abuse at the supervisor.

Eventually, for everyone’s safety, the supervisor called the session to an end.

According to probation officer Graham Thomas his behaviour was totally unacceptable and it fortunate that no-one was injured.

Solicitor Robert Vickery said it was clearly a one-off situation as the youth had complied with the order until then.

But court chairman Isfryn Williams, imposing a four-month detention and training order, said, “These are serious offences.”