Cop’s words help teenager avoid jail over ‘rampage’
A TEENAGER who went on a “rampage” on Anglesey has been spared custody after a police officer spoke in his defence.
A judge said he had never heard a case like it as he reluctantly suspended the sentence for Liam Dean-jones, 19, for assault and causing criminal damage at a property in Llanfairpwll last April.
The police officer, who is the defendant’s integrated offender manager, said Dean-jones has been making good progress since the offences.
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court sentenced Dean-jones to six months for each offence, to run concurrently, in a young offenders’ institution, but suspended the terms for 18 months.
Prosecutor Elen Owen told the court the two victims shared a house in the Llanfairpwll area.
On April 11, one had been entertaining friends when the defendant arrived uninvited at midnight with six or seven people.
The other victim suffers from anxiety and stayed in his room upstairs. But Dean-jones and two others went to see him. They appeared to be friendly.
The victim and a woman left the room but when they returned the TV was broken.
When asked about the damage, the defendant admitted he had caused it and said: “’I did it. Are you angry?’”
The defendant insisted that the victim fought him but when he refused Dean-jones went on a “rampage”.
Dean-jones punched the first victim and kicked the second victim in the face.
He smashed a mobile phone and stole an Xbox and other items.
Police were called and Dean-jones was caught with the stolen goods nearby.
He denied the offences, but was convicted after a trial
Dafydd Roberts, defending, urged the judge to give Dean-jones, “one last chance”.
He invited police constable Dylan Jones, the defendant’s integrated offender manager, to come to the court to describe the defendant’s progress since the crimes.
PC Jones said the teenager starts college soon and has offers of work. There are nevertheless anger management issues and negative thinking that still need to be addressed, he said.
The judge, His Honour Niclas Parry, said: “I have never seen the police coming to act for the defence.”
PC Jones said Dean-jones had been referred from the Youth Justice Service to the integrated offender manager scheme.
The judge told the defendant he had caused £250 worth of damage that night but he had to consider whether there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
He said the test of the effect of police coming to court to give evidence to benefit defendants would be whether they reoffend.
He said: “People like you will prove whether that is or that is not the case.
“I am not happy giving you this chance, but under the guidelines we operate under, bearing in mind the length of the sentence and bearing in mind I have been persuaded it’s for the long-term public benefit for you to continue to work with Officer Jones, I am going to give you that chance.”
Suspending his sentence, the judge also ordered Dean-jones, of Lon Ogwen, Bangor, to do 30 days of rehabilitation activity and observe a 6pm6am curfew until June 25. He must also pay £270 compensation and a statutory surcharge.