A teenager has been convicted of threatening Tesco staff and damaging a police cell.

The 16-year-old was fined after admitting provoking behaviour and criminal damage - and was warned he would serve 28 days in custody if he didn’t pay.

Prosecutor Rebecca Cubbon told the court that the teenager, who can’t be named because of his age, had joined the queue to enter the Lake Road supermarket with his uncle last Thursday afternoon.

But the pair were told that due to the store’s social distancing rules, they could not shop together.

The teenager became ’irritated’ and began to swear at customers and staff which led to the manager being called, Miss Cubbon said.

Threats

She said the teenager was asked to leave, at which point he threatened the manager and began swearing at him, but did leave when the police were called.

He was later located on a wall nearby and subsequently arrested.

While in police custody, he flooded his cell by stuffing his clothes into the toilet and repeatedly flushing.

Miss Cubbon noted that the teenager was in breach of his probation by being in the island, as he normally lives in England.

Defence advocate Andrew Baker said his client admitted and accepted that ’his behaviour and actions were wrong’.

He said the teenager had arrived in the island a month ago and had been ’completely overwhelmed’ by the store’s one person at a time rule.

Mr Baker said the teenager wants to live in the island ’and turn his life around’.

There was some uncertainty as to whether or not the teen could be excluded from the island.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that she was ’satisfied’ she couldn’t exclude him so fined the teen a total of £625 including costs and compensation.