After spending a week in a secure facility for breaking a court-ordered curfew, a Warwick teen, who admitted being a drug courier last week, was officially ordered to be held for 28 days in a youth home.

The Royal Gazette understands that the 15-year-old failed to return home just hours after being placed under the 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew by Magistrate Carlisle Greaves last Wednesday.

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested last Thursday morning and placed under an emergency care order.

Yesterday, Mr. Greaves ordered that the youth be held for 28 days, or until he could be sentenced for stealing a purse containing $400 and a camera from a visitor and possessing 1.24 grams of cannabis when he was arrested on April 27.

The teen shocked Family Court last week when he admitted he was a drug courier, saying: "I sometimes make a run (for people) to get weed''.

He also admitted that he had been smoking cannabis since he was 12 years old.

Now both Child and Family Services and Probation Services have 20 days to produce a social inquiry report on the teen before he is sentenced.

Last week he slouched, spoke only in a mumble and was dressed in baggy clothes.

Yesterday the young man sat straight, was dressed in casual but neat clothes, spoke clearly and apologised to the court.

The boy's mother and stepfather were present for the hearing and did not object to the committal.

Mr. Greaves told the teen: "I must say that you look much better than last week. Your face is clean and you even look brighter in those clothes. We seem to be getting someplace.

"How have they managed that in one week?'' He turned to the stepfather and said: "I see you nodding, do you see it too?'' The man responded: "He meets your gaze now and he looks you directly in the eye. He is looking better. I'm cautiously optimistic.'' His stepson told the court: "First of all, I want to apologise to the court for wasting your time. This last week has made me think about my life and what I want to do.

"I realise that the way I'm going is going to lead me to nowhere,'' he added.

His mother told Mr. Greaves: "I just feel that he has some issues to deal with for him to break the curfew like that.

"That's my own child and he's really not belligerent or disrespectful,'' she added. "I'm completely at a loss why he didn't comply with the curfew. A complete loss.'' Last week the boy told the court he "makes runs'' for "older people, like in their teens and 20s'' to "certain places'' in western parishes.

"They give you your share,'' he added. "I don't have a lot of money, that's why I make runs a lot.'' There was no suggestion the boy's parents were involved or even knew of his drug use or trafficking.

The curfew was ordered when the parents said they had not seen him for some time and had only returned home the night before.

Mr. Greaves said he would "fix'' that, adding: "If this man doesn't come home he is to be brought back here and we'll put him in a place (a juvenile home).''