A TEENAGER has been found guilty of attempting to break into a garage with a crowbar.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed he was the victim of mistaken identity.

But yesterday (Tuesday) magistrates at Macclesfield decided after a two-hour trial that he was guilty of attempted burglary with intent to steal.

"We are not attaching any weight to the evidence you gave," said chairman of the bench Susan Mannerswood.

PC Ian Burndred had told the court that he had seen the youth trying to prise open a garage door in Moorsid, Knutsford, on March 24 at about 10.45pm.

But the teenager claimed he was elsewhere in town with his friends. Nothing was taken from the garage but there was a car and second-hand lawn mowers were stored inside.

PC Burndred and his colleague Special Constable Beverley Hulme had been on patrol in Knutsford town centre that night.

Crow bar

They had walked from King Street, down Swinton Square onto the Moor when they heard a noise behind them.

As the pair turned round they saw two youths in front of a garage near Norbury's Yard.

One was holding a crow bar and the other was looking over his shoulder. "I assumed they were trying to break into the garage," said PC Burndred. The youths, who were wearing dark trousers and hooded tops, did not see the officers at first.

But as they got closer PC Burndred said he recognised the one holding the crow bar.

The officer asked the youth to stay calm and put the crow bar on the floor.

But as he put it down the youth fled.

Special Constable Hulme chased him into King Street but he escaped.

"I lost him," she said. "He was too quick for me."

The boy was later arrested but denied the charge.

PC Burndred told magistrates yesterday that he immediately recognised the youth.

"I've watched him grow up around the town for two years," he said. The defendant said he would have had a swollen black eye and a gash on his eyebrow that night after a friend head-butted him six days before.

He had taken a picture of the injury on his mobile phone and showed it to the magistrates

But both officers said the youth they spotted that night did not have any distinguishing features.

The teenager's solicitor argued that it was a case of mistaken identity.

But the magistrates disagreed.

"We accept the evidence the officers gave," said Mrs Mannerswood.

Earlier that day another youth, aged 17, had admitted being at the garage that night.

Both cases have been adjourned until June 20 for pre-sentence reports.

ssmith@guardiangrp.co.uk