A TEENAGER who breached an anti-social behaviour order FIVE times within a month of being released from detention has been locked up again.
Lee Thompson refused the option of keeping his freedom while being fitted with an electronic tag when he appeared before magistrates at Hyndburn yesterday , preferring instead to be locked up.
Magistrates lifted a ban on identifying the 14-year-old at the request of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, saying it was in the public interest to name him.
The ASBO was imposed in April and came into effect when he was released from a detention and training order last month . It banned him from associating with certain friends and entering parts of Clayton-le-Moors, but Thompson, of Devonshire Drive, Clayton-le-Moors, was found with one of the people named on the order four times.
He was also spotted by police officers in an area of town where he was not supposed to be, the court heard. Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, told magistrates he had been found by police officers hiding in the bed of one friend. On another occasion he was found climbing out of the bathroom window at the same house.
"There is a very lengthy record of offences of dishonesty, burglary in particular, and even assault lately," she said. "He has previously been back to custody for previous breaches of detention and training orders but has not abided by those either."
He admitted the breaches but Emma Morrisey, defending, said he would not consent to an intensive supervision and surveillance order and did not want to be subject to any court order.
"He simply wishes to be made subject to recall or detention," she said. "His mother has tried to encourage him to go with a community penalty but he finds it difficult to constrict himself to not contacting his friends and to the conditions imposed on him."
Admitting there was only one option left, Ms Morrisey asked magistrates to give him a term commensurate with the offences.
"He has been a prolific offender and quite often has offended day after day after day. It's quite a credit to him that since his release he hasn't committed one offence for which he has been charged and brought before the court," she said.
Imposing a two month custodial sentence and a 12 month detention and training order to run concurrently, chairman of the bench Maureen Walker said the order would have been for 18 months had Thompson not admitted the breaches.
"We are giving you 12 months from today because you will not comply with any order. "It's up to you. You have got to turn your life around and say I'm going to grow up, because you are not grown up at the moment - this is life."
PC Nick Mattock, of Great Harwood police, said: "We are very happy with the result. It shows the effectiveness of ASBOs."
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