A teenager who went around breaking windows in Newtown causing thousands of pounds worth of damage has been sentenced for the "nasty and silly" offences.

Jake Townsend was caught on CCTV picking up stones and hitting them against the Argos store's window fronts during the middle of the night.

Just a week earlier he had been arrested for breaking a second floor window at the new riverside venue Hafan yr Afon and verbally abusing the manager who was left "anxious and jumpy" by the incident.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to causing more than £7,500 of criminal damage on October 27 and 28, and November 6 when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court earlier this week.

The court heard that at around 10.30am on October 27, Hafan yr Afon manager Mollie George went to ask Townsend what had happened after she heard a thud coming from one of the ground floor windows.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said: "The defendant told her to f*** off in an angry and aggressive manner. She was was left anxious and jumpy.

County Times: Hafan yr Afon Riverside Venue.Hafan yr Afon Riverside Venue.

"She then heard two further thuds coming from the conference room on the second floor. She saw that the glass window had been broken, and the defendant was verbally abusive."

CCTV footage showed Townsend throwing an object at the ground floor window then another object at the top window, causing more than £3,400 of damage.

The following day, Argos manager Gareth Jones noticed there were deep scratches along sections of one of the shop front windows in Back Lane.

Five days after he was arrested by police and admitted he'd caused the damage, the Newtown teenager then threw five stones at the Argos windows at around 1.20am on November 6. In total the damage caused was more than £4,200.

County Times: Argos in Back Lane, Newtown.Argos in Back Lane, Newtown.

Robert Hanratty, defending, told the court: "Can I say this young man is clearly very vulnerable who has taken his angst somewhat illogically against property. He is an quite an isolated young man. He is also the designated carer for his brother. He is clearly not able to pay the whole cost of the compensation.

"The family are very anxious. They all recognise he has emotional immaturity and social immaturity and much younger for an 18-year-old. For all his faults he has a lot of support and his family love him dearly and want to make sure he doesn’t end up in this situation again."

Magistrates sentenced Townsend, of Lon Derw, Newtown, to a 12-month community order which will include 120 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days to improve his thinking and problem solving skills.

He must also pay £550 to Argos and £300 to Hafan yr Afon, and £85 court costs.

Stephen Pembroke, chair of the magistrates' bench, told Townsend: "These were nasty and silly events in Newtown and hopefully this has cut through to you.

"Quite clearly these businesses are able to claim from their insurance but the compensation will go towards the increase they will no doubt have from their premium increases. This is your way of paying back."