'Binge drinkers – you should be ashamed'
By Cornish Guardian | Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 08:00
A MAN from Tintagel was among six binge-drinking teenagers who "trashed" a new house in Constantine, near Falmouth, and stole and crashed a car.
Their behaviour was branded "disgusting and unspeakable" by Crown Court judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, on Friday.
In the dock were Sam Cooper, 20, of Redruth; Liam Russell-Gray, 18, of Trewarmett, Tintagel; Harry Bishop, 19, of Penbothidno, Constantine; Alexander Elliott, 19, of Colchester; Lydia Thomas, 18, of Four Lanes, Redruth; and a 17-year-old girl who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Each pleaded guilty to criminal damage to the property.
During the weekend of May 5 to 8 last year the group had been drinking in the Helston/Constantine area then vandalised the house.
The judge said: "This is a classic case of the evils of binge drinking by young people and the consequences that follow from it. All six of you, to a greater or lesser extent, trashed the place," said the judge. "It was unspeakable, disgusting behaviour.
"How could you treat other people's property in such a way, have you no moral consciences? You should be utterly ashamed. To say you were drunk is no excuse whatsoever."
The defendants also admitted taking without consent, or being a passenger in, a farmer's Land Rover, crashing it into a ditch and causing £500 of damage. And they admitted to burglary of a houseboat and dishonestly handling a stolen mandolin, which was sold in Helston for £50.
Bishop, Cooper, Russell-Gray and Thomas had no previous convictions.
Piers Norsworthy, defence counsel for Bishop, said he visited the vandalised house and apologised to the occupants.
All defence advocates said the defendants were ashamed. Each defendant over the age of 18 was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Cooper, who drove the Land Rover, was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 12 months.
Russell-Gray was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and Bishop 180 hours to reflect the apology he had made. They were also banned from driving for 12 months.
Thomas was ordered to attend a senior attendance centre for 36 hours and complete 200 hours of unpaid work. The unnamed girl was given a six-month referral order.
Elliott received a 16-week daily curfew. Bishop, Cooper and Russell-Gray were given eight-week curfew orders.
Comments
People who do that sort of thing do not know the meaning of shame.
Their definition is "It's a shame we don't get more handouts."
By Lafrowda at 15:53 on 16/05/12
ReportThey should be made to pay back every penny of the cost of the damage and the court costs. If they can't measures should be taken to get it from their parents who clearly don't care what their offspring get up to. As for "not named for legal reasons" name and shame her.
"Piers Norsworthy, defence counsel for Bishop, said he visited the vandalised house and apologised to the occupants." Why should he apologise? It's down to those stupid drunk misfits who did the damage to apologise not him.
By josdave at 11:49 on 16/05/12
Report