A TEENAGER has been told to "get a grip" on his life after being put behind bars for a raft of offences.
Leon Mitchell, of Englefield Avenue in Connah's Quay, appeared at Mold Crown Court via video link from HMP Berwyn on Thursday for sentence.
The 19-year-old had been convicted at previous hearings for offences of driving whilst disqualified, driving without a licence or insurance, threatening to damage property, sending a threatening message and using threatening behaviour.
Patrick Gartland, prosecuting, told the court the first offence in time was the sending of a threatening message, which saw Mitchell sending a Facebook voice note to Carolyn Bateman, the mother of his girlfriend Carys Bateman.
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He and Carys had been in Blackpool on May 13 when he sent the "horrible" message, for which he apologised the next day.
Then on July 19, Carys phoned her mother in distress and Mitchell could be heard in the background telling her: "You f****** watch what I'm going to do - you're going to get what's coming to you."
The rest of the offences occurred the next day when Carys Bateman had been at home in her garden and the defendant came to the front door.
When she didn't answer, he walked away, saying: "The cars on the drive are going to get torched.
"I'm going to smash every window you daft c*** - your cars are getting burned out."
He then got into a silver Astra, believed to be his mother's, and drove away - despite being disqualified and having no licence or insurance.
Mr Gartland told the court the offences put him the defendant in breach of a sentence containing several suspended custodial terms which came to 37 weeks in all.
Alexandra Carrier, defending, told the court: "He is still a young man, only 19.
"And he is aware of the type of sentence that will be passed today.
"He has grown up in what was a difficult environment. All he saw around him was criminality and he made the wrong choice to engage with that himself.
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"His dad is getting him back on track and he continues to have a supportive relationship with his mother.
"In my submission, Mr Mitchell has shown so maturation - he no longer goes out looking for trouble.
"He just wants to get today over with so he can know when he is going home."
Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones told the defendant: "It doesn't give me any pleasure to sentence such a young man for a whole list of offences.
"You have a temper which you are either unwilling or unable to control.
"You have to get a grip on your life."
The Judge handed down a total sentence of 16 weeks for the latest offences, and activated 36 weeks of the breached suspended sentences to run consecutive - making a total of one year in custody.
Mitchell received a two-and-a-half year driving ban.
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