A Dundee lout described as a “truculent teen”, James Ger, has been locked up for refusing to do his community payback work.
So-called “golden boy” Ger swore at social workers, threw down gardening shears and complained: “This is bulls***”.
The 18-year-old looked shocked when Sheriff David Hall remanded him in custody, asking: “Who do you think you are?”
Ger had been warned in June he faced custody after repeatedly failing to complete his community payback order.
He will now spend the next two months in Polmont.
James Ger threw shears
The teenager, of Benvie Gardens, had been given an alternative to custody sentence earlier this year after being convicted of possessing cannabis, a lock knife and assaulting a man in 2021.
The court heard he complained about having to work “unpaid” and threw a pair of gardening shears in a strop after being told to put in more effort.
The social work department, responsible for overseeing community orders, have ruled Ger out of any future unpaid work programme.
Defence solicitor Jim Laverty, in mitigation for Ger, told the court he had always acted like a “truculent teen” and been able to get away with it.
He said: “This is most disappointing that he is back before your lordship again.
“You made clear only in June that unless he buckled down he was in a corner.
“He clearly did not take on board what was put to him.
“He was remanded on Tuesday, this may be the key which unlocks this young man’s attitude.
“If I may be blunt, he is 18 but he has the maturity level of a 14-year-old.
“He has acted like a truculent teenager.
“It would appear behaving this way in the past has served him well, but in court it is completely different.
“He has been brought up in a family environment where he is the ‘golden boy’, where he can do no wrong.”
Remanded
Sheriff Hall, remanding him in custody, said: “On June 23 I gave you a lecture on how important it was for you to complete your hours.
“I continued this case until November for you to do so.
“This was imposed as an alternative to custody.
“I have a report from the community justice team, you attended for work but were reluctant, you said this was ‘bulls***’ and you had a bad attitude.
“You called the officer a d***, a p**** and a beast.
“Who do you think you are?”
The case was continued until September 13 and Ger was remanded until then.
