Teen's jail warning (From South Wales Guardian)

Teen's jail warning

9:41am Wednesday 15th July 2009

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AN Ammanford teenager who smashed a shop window and the windows of two parked cars following a drinking spree, has been warned he is “heading down the slippery slope to prison”.

Christopher Kappen, who was said to have committed the offences through boredom, was urged to put his life in order when he appeared before Ammanford magistrates.

“If you cannot do so we will not be so lenient the next time you appear before us,” chairman of the bench Arwel Davies told the defendant.

Kappen, 19, of 96 Margaret Street, who was said to be in breach of a community order, was ordered to pay £287 compensation and £75 costs having been convicted of three counts of criminal damage at an earlier hearing.

He was also given a fresh 12-month community order and told to complete the unpaid hours’ work from his earlier one.

Prosecutor Mandy Tobias said motorist Andrew James Tate, who had left his Renault Clio parked in the Co-op car park on the night of May 3, returned in the morning to find the passenger window smashed.

On the same night, a large shop window at Cartref worth £600 was also smashed.

And the next morning student Nathan Phillips discovered the rear window of his Smart car had been broken.

Miss Tobias said another man charged with the offences had already been dealt with by the courts.

Kappen admitted the offences and blamed alcohol for his actions.

Lyn Thomas, in mitigation, said the defendant had taken steps to address his alcohol problems.

“There’s a link between boredom and alcohol and he’s very, very sorry for his actions,” she added.

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