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The Asbo teenager who caused 40 per cent crime rise in one town
Last updated at 21:22pm on 09.07.07
Kyle Ivison, 17, carried out more than 120 incidents of yobbery
A Market town is looking forward to its first peaceful night for more than a year.
Local police hope they have cured a one-boy crime wave which brought mayhem and destruction on a massive scale to Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Officers told a court yesterday that 17-year-old Kyle Ivison was personally responsible for a 40 per cent rise in violent crime in the town, committing more than 120 offences involving drink, drugs and vandalism.
The thug was eventually brought to court after his father reported him to police for smashing up his own home.
After Ivison's movements were severely restricted under the threeyear Asbo, PC Geoff Woodcock, of Lancashire Police, said: "Clitheroe is a lovely place to live with a high quality of life.
"But recently criminal damage has increased significantly and Ivison has been a major contributor, he's clearly a problem for the whole community."
One local shopkeeper added: "He's scum and I'm delighted the courts have treated him with a firm hand. God knows, I'd like to."
Magistrates in Accrington were told Ivison first appeared on police records for just one offence in 2003 and another in 2004.
There were nine in 2005, then 56 in 2006 and 48 already in 2007.
In May, he was convicted of a catalogue of offences during which he:
• Smashed a church's windows, causing £1,400-worth of damage.
• Filmed himself smashing up 21 cars, jumping on them, kicking them and ramming one with a shopping trolley.
• Got drunk with a 15-year-old girl who had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
• Destroyed a neighbour's garden shed by setting fire to it.
In the last month alone, police logged a further seven incidents involving Ivison, who liked to brag about his crimes, including an occasion when he admitted taking drugs.
He had previous convictions for racially-aggravated harassment, smashing up benches in a cemetery, damaging a fire alarm at a college, using threatening behaviour and possession of Ecstasy and cannabis.
The magistrates heard that on June 29 his own father reported him for smashing up the family home.
PC Woodcock said after the hearing that Ivison committed 38 per cent of the town's crimes during a single week.
He added: "There have been a high volume of vehicles damaged. Understandably this causes a great deal of distress to residents who were regularly greeted by the sight of their wing mirrors damaged, resulting in great cost to all concerned.
"The destruction of four cemetery benches in what should be sanctuary shows his complete disregard for the feelings of others.
"Two were commemorative benches placed in the cemetery in memory of loved ones."
A local store owner, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "Residents, business people, the police, we're all sick of Ivison.
"He and his mates hang around drinking and taking drugs then he goes mental smashing people's possessions and property and terrifying people."
Under the terms of the Asbo, Ivison must not be in any public place between 10pm and 7am for the next six months.
He must not enter premises from which he has been excluded and must not remain in any premises having been asked to leave.
He is also banned from consuming or being in possession of any intoxicant or illegal drug in a public place or gathering in public with eight named individuals.
Reader views (22)
He will no doubt brag about the ASBO to his friends and it will be a badge of honour for him, he will also no doubt ignore it most of the time and the police will be unable to track him, so not only is it weak but its ineffectual as well.
The answer? I don't have one that doesn't require massive change across our entire society, but people don't see this problem, teenage births, entire areas of generational unemployment, widescale drug use and political apathy as a coherent problem. They see each one as a single problem to be approached, but they are not single problems they are endemic of our society and to fix them requires large scale change in the way in which we work. Changes that most people don't wish to make.
- Steve,, London
I think jail is not the solution. A friend suggested to send him to the army. I agree with him. That will give him some discipline and make him understand that we should be careful with other people's property.
- Tom, London
There's something to be said for the way they did it before modern times. Jail and rehab don't work on these people. They just get out and go back to their ways.
- Old West, USA
Although I don't know what yobbery is, I think this punishment is laughable and almost sad that he isn't in Juvenile Detention, rehabilitation, or on one of those "Ranches" for troubled teens. Oh noes, he can't go to the castle grounds, and can't be around 8 individuals in a public place! Oh dear.
- Beeple Bopple, Washington
I'm from the US - I say send this punk over to West Philadelphia and see what happens to him!
- Joe, Philadelphia, PA, USA
What's the penalty if he breaks the ASBO?
- Stan, USA
He needs a hug from Dave.
- Frank, Wolverhampton, England
"He's scum and I'm delighted the courts have treated him with a firm hand." Firm hand?! This kid has caused thousands and thousands of pounds of damage to churches, cars, public works, and the like, and he's beening told, "Now, don't you do that again!". This kid needs to be locked up and forced to fix what he has damaged and pay for that which has already been fixed. Honestly, what does it take to get arrested in the UK?!
- Laird, Morgantown, WV, USA
Seeing that the Police and Authorities are so reluctant to take the law into their hands, where are the good citizens of Clitheroe?
- Mark Cleminson, Richmond, BC Canada
Let's do the gene pool a favour.
- Cf, London
Proof of the fall of man.
- Ouryouthislost, UK
They missed a restriction - work at the least cool job (here would be fast food restaurant like McDonald's) until he paid for all the damage he caused. That way his mates would have something to ridicule - likely the only thing that will actually get his attention. Also, leave all restrictions in place until he pays off the damages.
- Joan, Portland, US
I think he will likely scoff at this attempt to curtail his activities. He needs to be locked up and not with other juveniles. Put him in with the men and have him 'scared straight'.
- Susan, Atlanta,GA
Two years of National Service will put a lot of these kids straight - they still have it in other countries!
- Chrissie, London
This is not a punishment. It is a boost to his street cred and a temporary minor inconvenience. He will learn nothing valuable from this, and therefore it contributes nothing to solving the the problem of his likelihood to reoffend. Only a serious stint of commmunity service, ideally cleaning up after louts like himself, will have any value to anybody.
- Fed Up, London
Handing out an ASBO is absolutely pathetic. People like him should be given stiff jail sentences.
- Vivek, London
Lock him up or even better send him into the army, that'll teach him some responsibility.
- Trevor Roll, London
He probably regards the ASBO as a badge of honour! It's basically a slap on the wrist and a "don't do it again". He'll be out smashing cars up in no time and laughing all the way. Unfortunately ASBOs aren't worth the paper they're written on. He needs locking up, but, wait - oh yes, the government has forgotten to build any new prisons whilst pouring money into Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
- Mark B, London
Lets start fining parents for not controlling their kids under 16, and once they are over 16, lets start using detention centres to keep for serious offenders and educating them.
- Brandon Ward, London UK
Force him to repair all the damaged stuff he broke, work in a homeless persons' shelter for a month clearing up their mess, clean graffitti off walls with a scrubbing brush, clean rubbish from embankments, pick up litter from parks and playgrounds and generally be useful and productive for the first time in his pathetic and wasteful existence.
- Gary Parker, Amersham
Named, yes. Shamed? I doubt it. He needs locking up for a very long time.
- Paul, London
What a joke our justice system is now. I don't care about his family background or other excuses, boys like this should be locked up until well into their adult life. Given an ASBO, what a farce!
- Lawrence, London
