A 16-YEAR-OLD youth already facing other criminal charges has spent the past two weeks in custody after going on a drug-induced crime spree in Warrnambool.
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The youth, who cannot be named because he’s aged under 18, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage at a care provider’s home, theft from vehicles, attempted theft of a vehicle and making a threat to kill.
A court heard yesterday that the youth had yet to appear on the criminal damage charges when fresh offences were committed.
Overnight on October 21 a young woman in a relationship with the youth drove him and other friends around Warrnambool.
She pulled up in the Ozone car park with the engine running while her boyfriend and another young man left the car and looked for vehicles to burgle.
The youth smashed a vehicle window and stole a handbag and personal papers.
He was then involved in offences involving parked vehicles in Lockett Drive, Clifton and George streets, cutting his hand while attempting to break into one.
On November 3 the youth threatened to put a bullet in the head of one of the victims, who was a police witness.
A co-offender also threatened to cut up the witness into little pieces.
The youth has a large number of prior offences.
After being arrested, a magistrate refused bail and the youth has been held in custody for two weeks.
A solicitor said that her client had not enjoyed the time in custody, which he described as hard and involving youths who were violent and had committed violent crimes including armed robbery.
She also raised drug and alcohol issues and said that at the time of offending her client was under the influence of cannabis.
A juvenile justice worker said that a period of further probation with conditions was appropriate.
The magistrate said reports indicted that the youth had been dealt a harsh hand in life and he was having difficulty working out his place in the community.
He said one thing was clear: “all this bullshit (offending) will do is make it worse”.
“You recognise what you have done is wrong. You’ve got the answer to this situation — don’t do it if you want to be a better person.”
The magistrate noted that the youth had pleased staff while in detention.
“If you can do well stuck in Parkville with all those ragbags you can do well anywhere. It’s a lesson about what can happen if you don’t change your behaviour,” he said.
“If you behave like a bloody idiot you will be treated like one.” The youth was not convicted, placed on a 12-month supervision order with conditions he do community work and undertake counselling and education as requested.
