A TEENAGER has been sentenced to 10 weeks in prison for a string of petty crimes and failing to comply with previous court orders.

Christopher Willis appeared to city magistrates stealing a three-litre bottle of cider worth £2.99 from a store in Malvern.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to bail and breaching a community order made last year as a sentence for charges of theft, resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly, as well as a bail act offence.

The court heard that in April 2006, 19-year-old Willis, of High Street, Evesham, stole Fosters beer worth £9.99 from a Co-op in Malvern. Before this he had stolen a bottle of Bacardi rum, worth £10.99, from a different store.

In October 2006, Willis was arrested for being drunk and disorderly after police were called to his girlfriend's house in Malvern where he was repeatedly banging on the front door at 1am.

When arrested Willis was kicking and screaming and at one point tried to bite a police officer.

For these offences, and a bail act offence, Willis was given 40 hours unpaid work, but repeatedly failed to attend probation appointments.

Mark Lister, defending, said when Willis had been dealt with in the youth court he had complied with a number of community orders, but as an adult has failed to comply.

"In the last seven to eight months there have been some difficulties, particularly with the consumption of alcohol," Mrs Lister said.

"He has recently moved back to his mother's, but most of last year did not have a stable address.

"He is on a programme that he hopes will lead to a job. He tells me he has cut down his alcohol consumption."

Magistrates took nearly an hour to decide on Willis's sentence. Chairman of the bench Heather Osbourne, said: "You have persistently failed to respond to court orders and continue to offend."

The community order was revoked and Willis was resentenced for the five offences and sentenced for the three recent offences. He has been sentenced to 10 weeks in a young offenders institute.