Former teen tearaway's asbo lifted early

By [ibond]

A former tearaway who was handed an asbo aged just 12 has become one of the first in the East Riding to have his order lifted for good behaviour.

Dillan Billaney was one of the youngest to receive an anti-social behaviour order (asbo) in the East Riding following persistent bad behaviour.

Fifteen months later Dillan, now 13, has had it lifted after new legislation introduced regular case reviews.

Dillan had been part of a small gang said to have caused police 'a disproportionate amount of problems' in Beverley.

Town magistrates imposed a two-year asbo in June 2008, banning Dillan from behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

He was banned from entering any Beverley school except as a pupil; ordered not to climb on any building other than his own home and barred from entering any town shop without a responsible adult.

He was also forbidden from being in a group of more than two in a public place where their behaviour was likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress; nor could he throw or kick anything at anyone unless playing sport.

Any breach of the asbo could have resulted in a two-year detention and training order.

But Dillan, from Thompson Avenue, Beverley, toed the line because he didn't want to lose his liberty.

He was also embarrassed because his photo and terms of the asbo had been posted around the town.

His asbo has now been lifted nine months early, after officers agreed he is a much reformed character.

Dillan's mum Nicola Lazenby said the asbo has worked and has cut out his bad behaviour.

She said: "I know he should not have got the asbo in the first place and I am not proud of him for getting it, he should not have been naughty in the first place.

"But I think he has changed. He's a better person for it."

She said Dillan realised he had to steer clear of trouble.

"He knew he had to walk away, if he didn't he could go to a detention centre if he broke the asbo."

Dillan accepts he behaved badly before being handed the asbo.

He said: "I was in with a crowd, you just ran with them."

But Dillan, who is a Longcroft School pupil, insists he has changed his ways.

"I don't want to get arrested any more," he said.

Beverley-based PC Chris Matthews views Dillan as an asbo success story.

He said: "In Beverley, where we have got kids on asbos, boundaries have been put in place and they have tended to abide by them. Dillan was a perfect example.

"He was just an absolute pain in the local community, chucking stones at windows, you name it, he was responsible somewhere along the line. He was an absolute nuisance.

"But the asbo has turned him round, he has been a success story."

In Beverley, seven juveniles and adults are subject to asbos, while the figure for asbos across the East Riding totals 42.