A TEENAGER, banned from Haverfordwest library, swore at Haverfordwest library staff after they wouldn’t let him in, a court heard.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted the March 11 public order offence when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrate’s youth court on Friday, July 5.

Prosecuting, Linda Baker said the youth had been previously banned from the library, but was under the misapprehension the ban had ended, swearing at staff when they wouldn’t let him in.

The boy also admitted a charge of failing to comply with conditions of a youth offender panel contract by failing to keep appointments on six occasions.

That order was made following the theft of a bottle of Prosecco from Haverfordwest’s Marks and Spencer store on December 4 of last year.

Defending, Jonathan Webb said: “The public order offence speaks for itself, [the youth] believed the ban had expired; there was ‘effing and jeffing,' he apologised for his words in police interview and makes the same apology today.”

He said the teen, who has the ADHD condition, had a “moral compass” and was “deep-down a decent kid, but a troubled kid,” but had been “hanging round with the wrong gang”.

He said that, if the youth didn’t take steps to change his behaviour, he’d end up under the wings of “some tattooed 17-year-old from Merthyr,” who would "make mincemeat" of him.

He conceded: “The report isn’t pleasant reading, he’s not easy to deal with; sometimes some kids need a bit more leniency, some need more carrot and little less stick.”

Magistrates agreed to let the existing referral order continue, imposing a four-month referral order for the public order offence, with a £20 court charge.