A NEWTOWN teenager, whose progress on a court order is described as “chaotic”, has been fined and told to pay costs after breaching it.

Jake William John Townsend, 19, admitted breaching a community order made by Welshpool Magistrates’ Court earlier this year when he appeared at the same court on Tuesday, November 14.

Townsend admitted breaching the order by failing to attend unpaid work appointments in July and September.

Townsend had been subjected to a brand new order in May of this year following repeated breaches of a curfew associated with the previous community order – because he was late back from visits to see his girlfriend in Birmingham.

Probation officer Julian Davies said Townsend’s compliance on the current order had “not been great”, but he asked magistrates to allow the order to continue.

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“It was a 12-month order, including 70 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days,” said Mr Davies.

“He received a warning letter after he failed to attend in July, then the same thing happened again in September, resulting in a breach. There was no acceptable explanation.

“He has completed 34.25 hours of his unpaid work. His behaviour is chaotic, he has only attended 3 rehab days and his compliance has not been great.”

Rob Hanratty, acting for the defendant, of Lon Derw, Newtown, said his client had “significant” mental health difficulties.

He said: “He also has social and emotional issues. Mum takes care of his court fines. He has great difficulty due to underlying problems.

“I ask you to bear his personal circumstances in mind.”

Magistrates said they would allow the order to continue. They also fined him £60 and told him to pay £60 costs.

Townsend was initially handed a new community order in April after he confessed to a charge of using violence to secure entry to premises following an altercation with his brother in November 2022.

County Times:

Townsend told his brother he would need an ambulance following an altercation on a footpath, and later violently tried to get into his house.

As part of his punishment, Townsend was told to abide by a three-month curfew. But Welshpool Magistrates’ Court heard he had breached his curfew on multiple occasions – accumulating a total period of 8 hours and 13 minutes when he was absent from his home address.

Townsend breached his curfew because he has a girlfriend in Birmingham who he visits often.

An initial community order was made following offences of criminal damage to shop windows in Newtown last October and November.

Townsend caused more than £7,500 of damage after throwing stones at windows at Newtown’s Argos store and the new riverside community venue Hafan yr Afon during two separate incidents.