A 14-YEAR-OLD charged with almost 100 offences, including police chases at speeds of up to 220km/h and stealing vehicles, has been placed on a youth supervision order.
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The youth, who cannot be named because he is aged under 18, pleaded guilty to 34 charges in a court yesterday. He was not convicted and ordered to complete educational programs.
A police prosecutor who went through the charges likened himself to “a bingo caller”. The youth will now live at Altona with his parents. He was previously living with his Warrnambool district grandfather but his solicitor claimed the youth’s needs were neglected.
The charges included damaging property and stealing vehicles during a six-month period from May last year.
The magistrate said the youth would be given a chance to behave himself, but if he didn’t, the 45 days already spent in custody would be a small taste of what was to come.
The court heard the boy stole vehicles including four motorbikes valued up to $6000, a silver Ford Falcon utility, a Ford Laser and a teacher’s station wagon. He also tried to take a campervan.
He stole a teacher’s car at a school on July 17 last year and drove off without paying for $50 petrol. The next day he drove to South Australia and did a handbrake skid on the Henty Highway, ploughing into a tree and writing off the $4000 car.
He also damaged his grandmother’s car with a fire extinguisher and when chased by police in Melbourne pushed a pillion passenger off a stolen bike so he could get away. The passenger suffered a range of injuries.
The defence solicitor said her client had no prior convictions, but had associated with older people who had contact with the criminal justice system.