A Peel teenager has been handed a suspended sentence after she broke into a farm and killed £3,000 worth of lobsters.

Teoni Blanchard, 19, received a one-year jail term suspended for one year with a supervision order for the same period.

She was sentenced by Deemster Graeme Cook on Friday, May 5, in the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

Blanchard was seen on CCTV going into the outbuildings of Shenvalla Farm, in Patrick, at 2.30 am with a torch and a kitchen knife.

She then killed a number of the crustaceans by putting cleaning products in the water and stabbed eggs which were ready for sale and wrote ‘die’ on the worktop of the outbuilding using a pen.

The court then heard that she stole the keys out of four vehicles, before attempting to call the owner, however, they didn’t pick up.

The court heard that she was arrested the following day and initially denied being present at the farm on the night in question, saying she had been out that night and consumed alcohol and came home and fell asleep on the couch.

After her alibi collapsed following a police investigation, she admitted to having a knife at the scene but did not intend to harm the owners of the farm.

There was some confusion over Blanchard’s sentencing, due to ‘failure of communication’ regarding a prior, unrelated court case against her’.

In regards to the matter, Deemster Cook said: ‘It rather ties my hands,’ referring to his sentencing powers for this case.

On sentencing her, Deemster Cook described Blanchard as ‘clearly a troubled lady’.

Due to the defendant’s circumstances, Deemster Cook did not fine her for prosecution costs.