March 28, 200619 yr Schoolgirl drink-driver runs riot in court By Stewart Payne (Filed: 28/03/2006) daily telegraph A girl of 14, appearing in court for a second drink-driving offence, threw a jug of water at magistrates, punched a solicitor and ran around screaming abuse and kicking furniture after hearing that she was going to be detained for four months. A few minutes earlier Leanne Black, who has a history of offending, had said she was learning to control her anger. She was the youngest ever drink-driving offender when she was caught in her father's car at the age of 12 after a Christmas binge. She has since appeared in court for criminal damage, burglary, harassment and breaching a curfew. Her outburst occurred when she returned to youth court at Newbury, Berks, to be dealt with for her second drink-driving offence, committed when still under a supervision order. On arrival she pelted waiting photographers with eggs and her mother, Nora, turned her bottom towards the cameras and said: "Go on. Film this". She repeatedly shouted that she was "proud" of her daughter. In court Black, dressed in a tracksuit, apologised for taking her father's car for a second time after drinking three cans of lager. She said: "I know what I have done to my dad and stuff. I'm working with people. They are trying to help me. I am working with groups and stuff, trying to make my own decisions." But, when she realised that her solicitor's entreaties had failed, she lost her temper, raced around the courtroom, screamed at probation officers and grappled with members of her family. She punched the prosecuting solicitor, Lesley Gilmore, and threw water at the magistrate and court clerk. After the hearing, Mrs Gilmore said she intends to press further charges. The prosecutor was later asked if Black had reminded her of the Little Britain TV character "Vicky Pollard gone bad". She borrowed a line from the comic Catherine Tate and joked: "Am I bovvered?" After the court tantrum, the teenager was restrained and taken to Newbury police station as magistrates adjourned the case. Later, Black, of Thatcham, Berks, was led back into court wearing handcuffs and flanked by two security guards. Margaret Bates, the presiding magistrate, sentenced her for taking a vehicle without consent, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and driving with alcohol above the legal limit. Black was told she must serve four months in a secure training unit followed by another four months under supervision in the community. If she misbehaved the sentence would be lengthened. She was disqualified from driving for 36 months. Mrs Bates said: "These sentences are necessary because this group of offences is so serious and because of your failure to respond to non-custodial sentences. You have wilfully broken the requirements of previous court orders and we find that you are a persistent young offender." When given an opportunity to speak Black said: "I'm sorry for my behaviour earlier." The bench was advised by the clerk that it had no powers to hold a juvenile in contempt of court and it could fine Black only for the courtroom outburst. Such a fine would have to be paid by her family. Mrs Gilmore had earlier described how Black had shouted obscenities at police when she was stopped at the wheel of her father's car. She had driven off in it without him noticing, after drinking beer at a friend's house. Her family called police. Officers found Black and arrested her. A breath test showed that she had 44 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal drink-drive limit is 35 microgrammes. For the earlier drink-drive offence she had been banned and placed on a 12-month supervision order. Ian Campbell, representing Black, described her as "susceptible to influences". He said she had been working with the probation service on her anger management. Before the mayhem, Mrs Bates took the unusual step of allowing Black to be named, ruling that public interest in her shocking case outweighed the court's duty to protect a young person. for once , i am left speechless at this. what is going on in society these days to allow kids to develop with such attitudes AND the kids mother gave the press a moonie !!! am i just becoming an old grump , i remember the public outcry and the horror shown by my parents when mick jagger and keith richard urinated on the forecourt of a petrol station whilst their limo was being filled up. i just thought it was cool. these days such behaviour wouldnt warrant a raised eyebrow , yet the behaviour of the 14 year old in the article is becoming increasingly more common. would any teenagers on this forum like to give their views on this ? can somebody please tell me why ?
March 28, 200619 yr Is this becoming more common ? I don't think so. It's been going on since Julius Ceaser invaded Britain and possibly before that. What has changed is the quantity and quality of news that is reported nationally because of television and the internet. I come from a small country town and 30 years ago mayhem like this happened every weekend. Teenagers taking cars without the owners permission while under the influence was pretty common. As were massive punch ups at disco's. None of it made more than a few lines under Sherrif's Court in the local paper. Now it's being reported in the Daily Mail as the down fall of society.
March 28, 200619 yr "Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised." - Marilyn Manson "I know what I have done to my dad and stuff."
March 28, 200619 yr fascinating report, tax... thanks. In court Black, dressed in a tracksuit yet another eyeroller..
March 28, 200619 yr am i just becoming an old grump? Yup. Rebellious youths. Weren't we all. Yes................................I was a little terror. But I eventually had it beaten out of me. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, if only I had been born 50 years later. I would have made a fortune suing schoolteachers.
March 28, 200619 yr am i just becoming an old grump? Yup. Rebellious youths. Weren't we all. Yes................................I was a little terror. But I eventually had it beaten out of me. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, if only I had been born 50 years later. I would have made a fortune suing schoolteachers. And your parents.
March 28, 200619 yr Author .........I would have made a fortune suing schoolteachers. And your parents........ i think that that one reason why authority figures dare not do anything. the "wrongdoer" , and thats what that 14 year old was , (even though the offences were not so terrible , it is her attitude that is more disturbing , and the attitude of her mum) she knows that whatever she does the courts are powerless to take drastic action. look at her history. its taken 4 years before any real punishment why is she so out of control. lampard said he had it beaten out of him , and quite rightly so . the lack of availability of such corrective action these days is indeed sad.
March 28, 200619 yr I don't think the fact that she hasn't her attitude beaten out of her is the problem here. I think it's rather her parents seem to encourage it - look at the attitude shown by her mum! She loves her daughter so much she wants to sent bother her and her own life down the toilet. Truely fcked up.
March 28, 200619 yr lampard said he had it beaten out of him , and quite rightly so .the lack of availability of such corrective action these days is indeed sad. I had the <deleted> kicked out of me by my parents, too. Heaven forbid, they were German, too. Too make matters worse I think my dad was Prussian. But even in our day and age not sparing the rod did not always work. Look at Boon Mee and Ulysses. They're still uncontrollable children.
March 28, 200619 yr Tax - blame it on the parents, I'd toss the parents in jail too. Lack of discipline seems to have reared its ugly head for society and this certainly isn't a good thing.
March 28, 200619 yr "Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised." - Marilyn Manson "I know what I have done to my dad and stuff." Very true and a very good quote. People seem to forget about public torture and execution. Now those were the days of reality TV before the TV.
March 28, 200619 yr If only the solution were so easy, Brit. After the Columbine shootings here in the U.S. the issue of holding the parents responsible for their children's actions was seriously raised. Bad, bad idea, Brit. I'm afraid the real work, the real solutions, are a little more difficult than that.
March 28, 200619 yr If only the solution were so easy, Brit. After the Columbine shootings here in the U.S. the issue of holding the parents responsible for their children's actions was seriously raised. Bad, bad idea, Brit. I'm afraid the real work, the real solutions, are a little more difficult than that. I agree. The question of at what age a person is responsible for their own actions has yet to be defined. Many cases that have gone to court concerning youger children sometimes have shown that the parents where not "bad parents", so shouldn't than the child be blamed. So, is it right to say that the parents will only be blamed if they show themselves to be lacking in parental skills. Now we have to define those skills so we can have a standard. How do we take into account different culturals? Yes, more complex than we would like, but what isn't?
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