I think Judge Huw Rees deserves three cheers for his judgement in this case, pity it stands out against the norm.
A teenager who was part of a gang which "trashed" a beauty salon has been spared jail.
But Reece Owen was ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation to the proprietor of La Belle Femme Beauty Salon in Prestatyn.
He was also warned that, if he committed another offence or breached the court order, he would go to prison.
The 18-year-old, of Cawthorne Avenue, Kirkby, Merseyside, admitted the burglary in August last year.
He also admitted burglary at McColls convenience store in Prestatyn on the same evening.
Sentencing the teenager, Judge Huw Rees said he needed to appreciate the effect burglaries have on individuals.
The judge told him: "You need to tread very carefully in future. The mitigation you have put forward this time will wear very thin."
Owen was handed a 33-week term in a young offenders institution, which was suspended for 18 months. He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and attend two courses organised by the probation service.
The judge ordered Owen, a labourer, to pay the compensation at the rate of £150 a month.
"In total, the loss to the business was £3,000. The salon was unable to open the following day and clients were turned away, but staff were paid in any event."
Simon Killeen, defending, urged the court to take the delay in charging Owen into account and to bear in mind his age.
ref DP