A TEENAGER was returned to a secure unit for youngsters yesterday to await her latest sentence.

The 16-year-old Darlington girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had nine previous convictions for robbery and theft, said Richard Bennett, defending.

Yesterday, she pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to robbing another girl of money and a mobile phone in a street in Darlington on May 8. She is also awaiting sentence at a Darlington Youth Court for three assaults and two cases of criminal damage, said David Crook, prosecuting.

A psychiatrist has prepared a report on her and her case was adjourned for a fortnight for a report from a Youth Justice team. She was remanded back to a secure unit in Rugby, Warwickshire.

The judge, Recorder William Hirst, told her: "The advantage of getting a report is that your medical condition and family background are available to whoever sentences you."