A young man who suffers from a degenerative brain disease was yesterday given a suspended jail term after admitting to disobeying police orders and breaching the conditions of a previous release.

The 19-year-old, who is not being named to protect his identity, suffers from Huntington's disease, a genetically-programmed degeneration of cells in certain parts of the brain. This degeneration causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties and emotional disturbance.

Magistrate Edwina Grima said that when taking into consideration the facts of the case, besides the early guilty plea, the probation officer's report was most important.

Marylyn Attard had noted that, because of the degenerative disease, the teenager's temperament was not normal and, because of this, he committed crimes similar to what he was admitting to. He had a very difficult childhood and his father was being treated in St Vincent De Paul because of the advanced stage of the same disease. His sister too suffered from the ailment.

Magistrate Grima said that, because of the medical condition, a prison term was not ideal, so she handed down an 18-month jail term suspended for four years.

She also placed the teenager under a four-year supervision order on condition he follows all the psychiatric and medical help needed.

Police Inspector Jesmond Borg prosecuted.