A TEENAGER has been detained after admitting falsely imprisoning his probation officer.

Magistrates sitting at Poole Youth Court heard on Monday the 17-year-old, of no fixed abode, had met the female officer at the Quay Foyer in Hill Street, Poole, on July 25 to discuss an action plan order imposed by the courts after he committed two public order offences.

Jason Nickless, prosecuting, said the officer, from Bournemouth and Poole Youth Offending Team, had described the youth as "agitated" when he arrived.

He added: "She asked him to sit down so they could get on with the meeting and he started to swear at her. She decided it would not be efficient to continue and decided to call the meeting to an end.

"She asked him to leave and he started to swear at her, refusing to let her leave the room.

"He was blocking the exit for four minutes by placing his arms across the door frame."

Mr Nickless said the officer felt "extremely threatened" but eventually managed to leave the room. The youth was ushered into the reception area by another colleague and began swearing at him.

Mr Nickless said the female officer fled to a room down the corridor but heard the youth coming down the corridor, opening doors.

He added: "He found the room which she was in, walked in, shut the door behind him and placed his foot against it and continued the tirade of abuse only three or four inches from her face.

"The officer backed away into a corner and braced herself, anticipating a physical attack."

Other members of staff then came to her aid and the youth was arrested, the court was told.

Guy Gosheron, mitigating, said the youth had never intended to use physical violence and had not intended to imprison the woman.

He added he became angry because he thought if the meeting was ended he would have been thought to have breached the order.

The youth was sentenced to a six-month detention and training order for the false imprisonment and two four-month orders, to run concurrently, for two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

The original action plan order was revoked and no separate penalty given for the original public order offences.

First published: August 23