A TEENAGER who caused more than £9,000 damage to a boat was put behind bars for several hours after being rude to a judge in court.Robert Pottle, 18, was arrested by police after his DNA was found in blood spots on a boat that had been broken into and vandalised.

A TEENAGER who caused more than £9,000 damage to a boat was put behind bars for several hours after being rude to a judge in court.

Robert Pottle, 18, was arrested by police after his DNA was found in blood spots on a boat that had been broken into and vandalised.

He pleaded guilty to causing £9,356 of criminal damage to the Bright Spark boat moored in Woodbridge and to stealing binoculars, CDs, a stereo and marine rescue flares worth £159.

Lesla Small, prosecuting, said: “The owner left the boat secure and when he returned he noticed that there was blood on the starboard side of the boat and the canopy had been unzipped and he could see things had been scattered around.

“The police were called and they took DNA of the blood and it came back to be Mr Pottle's blood.”

Pottle, of Bury Hill Close, Melton, told police he had been with other people and on that particular day he consumed a large amount of alcohol.

Pottle, who has previous convictions for disorderly behaviour, told police he remembers taking a dingy across the river to the boat with friends but has no memory of the events afterwards.

District Judge David Cooper said: “I accept that you were hopelessly drunk at the time and you and your friends went out in the dingy but do you remember what happened after that?

“You must have cut yourself?”

Pottle, who works as a groundsman for the council, said: “I can't take any of this, I just woke up one morning and that was it. I'm sorry it happened, but I don't remember any of it.”

Pottle was given a 12 month community order of 80 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £350 compensation to the yacht owner, £159 for the items he stole and £65 in court costs.

He will also be electronically tagged and given a curfew at his dad's house in Woodbridge from the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Judge Cooper also banned Pottle from pubs in Woodbridge for a year and ordered him to be detained in custody for several hours.

He said: “You have shown no remorse for your actions, you can't just cause £9,000 worth of damage to someone's property and be blasé about it.”

Have you been the victim of vandalism or theft? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.