A teenager who cut off his electronic tag because he was “fed up wearing it” has been jailed for four months.
Geordie Brown left the monitoring device lying on the floor at his bail address in Belfast.
The 19-year-old, of Rosewood Street in the city , admitted a charge of criminal damage. He was arrested on Wednesday after police were alerted by security firm G4S.
Brown had been required to keep the £80 tag on as part of conditions imposed while out on bail for a separate case.
But Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard it was tampered with and then discovered on a bedroom floor.
Brown was not present at the time. Defence solicitor Stewart Evans confirmed his client was pleading guilty to the criminal damage.
“He said he got fed up wearing it and stupidly decided to cut it off,” Mr Evans told the court.
“He accepts it was a foolish act.”
Imposing two months imprisonment for cutting off the tag, District Judge Steven Keown also ordered Brown to serve a further two months on previously suspended sentences for disorderly behaviour.
Mr Keown confirmed: “It’s a total sentence of four months.”
For more of today's top stories in Belfast and beyond, click here.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
