Teenager locked up over £150,000 trail of destruction at plant hire site

A TEENAGER has been locked up after a £150,000 “orgy of destruction” at a plant hire site where he and another youth smashed vehicles and heavy equipment into each other “for a laugh”.

The premises of KPH Plant Hire in Geldard Road, Birstall, Batley had been secured for the night of March 7 but the following morning the trail of damage among the 30 vehicles left on the half-acre site was discovered.

John Bull, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday the firm hired out machinery to the construction and building trade including excavators and heavy wagons and in addition to the £157,000 total cost of the damage had lost thousands of pounds through machinery not being available for hire.

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Police recovered a baseball cap and a glove at the site and the DNA of Jordan Cooper, 18, was found on the glove. When he was arrested he revealed he had gone into the site with a 17-year-old and when that youth crashed one vehicle into another he thought it was a laugh and did the same thing.

The other youth received a four- month detention and training order from magistrates.

Cooper, who was homeless at the time, was sent to a young offender institution for 12 months after he admitted damage and stealing two satellite navigation systems.

David Orbaum, representing Cooper, said he was immature for his age.