Court extends teenager's ASBO

A COURT has extended an anti-social behaviour order on a 15-year-old boy accused of being a menace to residents on a city estate.

Plymouth magistrates have increased an order to control Charlie Mitchell by six months.

Plymouth City Council, backed by the police, had called for the order to be extended until Mitchell's 18th birthday in January 2012 and to include a curfew.

But the Mitchells contested the order.

Presiding magistrate Michael Holland told Mitchell, of Thames Gardens, that his behaviour was getting better – but there was still room for improvement.

The court heard that Mitchell and mother Linda hoped to be rehoused to Southway in the next few weeks.

The order was originally imposed on Mitchell for two years in March 2007 when he was just 13.

The court heard then that he had 'mindlessly destroyed' people's property, targeted local churches and abused and intimidated elderly residents.

Notorious for shoplifting from local stores, he also lied his way into the homes of the elderly to steal from them.

The continued order makes it a criminal offence for him to 'cause harassment, alarm and distress', and not to enter private residences without the permission of the occupier.

Mitchell is still banned from large areas of Laira and Efford.

Dylan Sadler, senior lawyer for the council's anti-social behaviour unit, told the court in the latest hearing that the public required further protection.

The court heard that Mitchell had also breached the Asbo three times very quickly after it was imposed in March 2007.

Mr Sadler handed the magistrates a record of police logs where officers had been called to incidents allegedly involving the Mitchell family.

Efford neighbourhood beat manager Pc Al Roberts said that there had been three to four logs over the past six months, including an allegation that a light had been shone through a resident's window.

But, contesting the application for extension, Mrs Mitchell said that her son was maturing and facing up to the fact that he could not get away with criminal or anti-social behaviour.

But she added that the order had left him in fear of leaving the house in case he was accused of being involved in any anti-social incident.

The court heard that Mrs Mitchell had reported incidents of alleged harassment by neighbours to the police.

She added: "The acceptable behaviour contract will allow us to move forward as a family."

Mrs Mitchell admitted that she was being evicted from their council house and said that she had 'every intention' of accepting another house in Southway.

Mr Holland said: "Throughout the order we have seen that there has been improvement but there is room for further improvement."

He added that the supervision order was still in its early stages and it was too early to assess how 'helpful it was going to be.'

Mr Holland said: "We have to look at what is not only right for you but also what is best for other people to enjoy a peaceful existence.

"You are moving to a new part of the city and hopefully that will provide you with a new beginning."

A council spokesman said: "The council and the police, working together, are delighted to have secured an extension to the existing order as this will ensure the public are protected from any further anti-social behaviour.

"We are also continuing to help him address his behaviour and he is positively engaged with this work."