Four teenage boys have been served with anti-social behaviour injunctions in a bid to curb conduct in a Cumbrian town said to involve violence and the use of weapons including a knuckleduster.
The four teens — aged 14, 15 and two aged 17 — appeared at Carlisle Youth Court this afternoon.
This followed an application by police for the imposition of the injunctions to halt alleged violence — or the threat of violence — likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to the public.
A prosecutor gave the court a snapshot of serious alleged incidents highlighted by police which are said to have involved the boys this year in Penrith.
On one occasion, a knuckleduster is said to have been used as the four allegedly assaulted a youngster at a youth meeting venue, causing injuries which included a broken jaw.
Other incidents are alleged to include: an assault on a police officer; an assault on another male who was punched multiple times; a punch assault on a person at the Sainsbury’s supermarket; and two incidents involving a BB gun including one where a boy was hit and left shaken, with a visible mark on his body.
“It is not just violence, though,” said the prosecutor. “There is also more low level anti-social behaviour that we say is liable to cause harassment, alarm or distress to people going about their business.”
There had been alleged incidents at Penrith’s McDonald’s restaurant and again at Sainsbury’s, where an alarm was set off, resulting in evacuation of the premises, he said. The boys’ use of cannabis and alcohol, and instances of shoplifting, was also alleged.
After hearing that the application for injunctions was not opposed by the boys’ solicitor, magistrates granted them for 12 months and attached a power of arrest in the case of any breach.
The court heard the boys agreed to a raft of conditions, one of which prevents them entering exclusion zones covering four Penrith town centre areas, including McDonald’s.
Other conditions ban them from causing any person to fear the infliction of harm; from harming any person by the direct application or force; and from being under the influence of alcohol or drugs in public.
In granting the orders in each case, magistrates were satisfied that the boys had engaged — or had threatened to engage — in anti-social behaviour; and that it was just and convenient to grant the application.
Lead magistrate Maureen Appleton said to the four teenagers — who each attended court with parents: “I have to warn you all, if you breach the order you will be arrested and you could go to prison.” She added: “You are in very serious trouble, boys.”
