A PROLIFIC young offender has been put behind bars after he breached an interim Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO).

Joshua Shanahan, aged 18, was sentenced to 13 months in a young offenders’ institute when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on March 2.

Shanahan, of Marconi Close on the Bournville estate, was handed an interim ASBO on February 7 – but was arrested only a day later for breaching it.

Before slapping him with the order, magistrates sitting at North Somerset Courthouse heard that Shanahan had nine previous convictions.

Offences ranged from a burglary that he committed on his 18th birthday to disorderly behaviour and possession of drugs.

Police said Shanahan was a member of street gang PYO, which stands for Prolific Young Offenders – and they caused havoc on the Bournville estate, Weston town centre and Whitecross Road shops.

In a document submitted to the court as evidence when the interim ASBO case was heard, police said many of Shanahan’s associates were below the age of 18 and under the influence of drink or drugs.

The document goes on to say there were 20 reported incidents of antisocial behaviour involving Shanahan in 2010 – and criminal gang PYO were involved in thefts, robberies, aggravated burglaries, serious assaults and criminal damage.

As well as the interim ASBO, which prohibited Shanahan from acting in an antisocial manner towards shop staff and associating with 11 named individuals, he was also given a 12-month suspended sentence for four crimes, including theft and public order offences.

But the very next day police caught Shanahan with one of the named people on the order.

He was remanded in custody until the hearing last week when the suspended sentence was activated.

PC Dean Parker, Bournville beat manager, said: “The sentence that Shanahan has received should serve as a warning to those who consistently cause problems for innocent people and businesses showing that antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated and will be treated as a serious offence.

“We hope to have a full ASBO order in place for when Shanahan is released which will be aimed at addressing his behaviour and restricting his movements and criminal associations.”