Teen sentenced for confronting man in café

Wednesday 03 April 2024

A teenager who pushed and shoved his way into a café and was found to be carrying drugs been put on probation for nine months.

The Youth Court heard yesterday that the 17-year-old – who cannot be named due to his age – pushed other customers out of his way in order to confront a man inside the café.

Legal adviser Luisa Stewart, prosecuting, said police arrested the youth for causing a breach of the peace and then discovered he was carrying both cannabis resin – a Class B substance – and the Class A drug ecstasy.

The teen claimed the drugs were for his own use.

He admitted the charge of causing a breach of the peace, and the two charges of drug possession.

Advocate Mike Preston, defending, explained that the other man in the café had spat at the teenager, and said: “He was a bit drunk. He just lost his temper.

“He knows he behaved in a disgraceful way.”

Advocate Preston said that in the months since the incident the teenager had been drinking less.

He also pointed out that the teenager was about to start a new job, and so argued for a probation order rather than a community service order.

Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz imposed two nine-month probation orders for the breach of the peace and drugs possession, to run concurrently, and told the teenager: “I hope we will never see you in this court again.”