A TEENAGER has been locked up for three years after he brandished a wrench during two attempted robberies.

Hooded Kailon Gibson, 18, produced the weapon from his sleeve as he tried to hold up a bookmakers in Low Moor and minutes later he used it to damage a householder's front door after he refused to hand over his car keys.

The two attacks, which happened in the space of 15 minutes, both ended with Gibson leaving empty-handed after his targets refused to comply with his demands.

Judge David Hatton QC said he was satisfied that Gibson, of no fixed address, posed a significant risk of serious harm after taking account of his previous convictions for offences of robbery and attempted robbery.

"Although you are but 18 years of age you have already acquired an unenviable and very significant criminal record for offences of dishonesty," the judge told Gibson.

Prosecutor Joe Culley told Bradford Crown Court that the first attack took place as Coral bookmakers' employee Linda Bottomley was closing up the premises in Huddersfield Road at about 9.30pm on September 20.

As she was pulling the shutters down Gibson approached her and told he get back inside.

Mr Culley said the teenager was holding a metal wrench which had been concealed up his sleeve and he waved it towards the complainant.

As she shouted for help from people at a nearby shop Gibson fled the scene, but within minutes he knocked on the door of Geoffrey Marshall and demanded the keys to a car parked outside his home in Oxley Gardens.

Mr Culley said Gibson was still holding the metal wrench and he made a "jabbing motion" with it as repeated his demand.

During a short scuffle Mr Marshall managed to push Gibson away and lock his front door, but the teenager started hitting the door with the wrench causing damage to a glass panel.

The court heard that the flying glass caused some small cuts to Mr Marshall's hand and arm.

Gibson was captured on CCTV footage, but during his police interview he claimed he had only been asking to borrow Mr Marshall's car and he denied threatening anybody.

Mr Culley said Gibson told officers he could not remember much after drinking two litres of vodka, taking cocaine and two of his mother's prescription tablets.

Gibson admitted two charges of attempted robbery and two of possessing an offensive weapon in relation to the wrench and he was sentenced to three years in a Young Offender Institution.

Judge Hatton said Gibson would also be subject a three-year extended licence period following his release from custody.

Solicitor advocate Andrew Walker, for Gibson, conceded that his client's previous record was unattractive for someone who only turned 18 in February.

"At least, to his credit, he has entered guilty pleas at an early opportunity," said Mr Walker.

"I would ask you to mitigate the sentence further in view of his age. He turned 18 in February and is still a young man in terms of his levels of maturity."

Mr Walker said it seemed that Gibson's long-standing drug problem had consumed his life from time to time.

He said Gibson's mother had paid off a drugs debt for him, but he had got more drugs on "tick" and threats were made.