Teen broke into Ford Focus to nick stuff 'because he hadn't taken medication'

A teenager broke into a car in broad daylight when he "wasn't feeling very well". Tyrelle Curtis, 18, pleaded guilty to vehicle interference at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, April 25, after committing the offence on Tuesday, March 26.

He had wandered out of his home on Elm Avenue, just outside the city centre, to Cranmer Walk just metres away and smashed the window of a black Ford Focus after “seeing something inside it”. He clambered inside and was still in the car when a neighbour of the car’s owner spotted him and phoned the police.

When the police arrived Mr Curtis was still in the vehicle. But he jumped out of the smashed window and made a dash for it when confronted.

A chase ensued on foot and police finally caught up with him when he accidentally wandered down a dead-end alleyway. He was found to have shards of glass in his clothing which ended up proving him to be the culprit.

He was also found to have a screwdriver and a wrench. Mitigating, his barrister said Curtis had mental health issues in the form of anxiety, depression and psychosis.

On the day, he had not taken his medication and had thus not been in the best way and “wasn’t feeling very well”. He went out “foolishly” to “take some items” because he “wasn’t thinking”.

He had one previous offence in 2020 and was living on the sofa at his mother's address at the time of the offence. Wearing a black windbreaker jacket, ripped jeans and Nike trainers, he was ordered by the district judge to pay a fine of £80, reduced from £120 due to the guilty plea, and a £32 victim surcharge.

He also has to pay prosecution costs of £85 and compensation of £100, altogether totalling £297. The money will be taken out of his benefit payments.