Teenage ‘terrors’ in landmark ASBO case

Two teenage girls who ‘made life unbearable’ for residents of three of Gibraltar’s estates could be made the subjects of the Rock’s first ASBOs, or anti-social behaviour orders.

Residents of Mid-Harbour, Glacis and Laguna Estates finally spoke up about the girls, aged 15 and 17 respectively, after their unruly anti-social behaviour ‘terrorised’ residents for over a year, the Juvenile Court was told yesterday.

Police conducted house-to-house inquiries at the estates and although some residents genuinely did not have issues with the girls, this was far outweighed by the number of people who had suffered at the hands of their behaviour, the court heard.

Police officers said the girls were well-known for their anti-social behaviour and, according to one resident of Laguna Estate whose statement was read in court, many people were intimidated by them.

According to police, some residents did not want to provide officers with statements or have anyone know they had spoken up as they feared reprisals regarding anti-social behaviour in general and not just from the two girls, the court was told.

Many of the allegations against them were generally repeated from house-to-house and included aggressive and abusive behaviour, racial abuse, drinking alcohol and consuming drugs, scratching vehicles, burning doors, graffiti and spitting and throwing objects at passers-by, the court was told.

The girls sat sniggering and laughing in court yesterday as affected residents gave evidence under oath and police read snapshots of witness statements to the court.

In a statement to police, one resident said they “had never seen anything like this before”, while another said the girls “caused nothing but stress to the neighbours and something has to be done.”

The girl’s lawyer, Patrick Canessa, argued that his clients had not caused residents any such distress.

FULL STORY IN OUR PRINT AND E-EDITIONS