Teenage burglar sentenced

A boy who became a serial burglar, committing multiple offences over about seven months, has been sentenced to eight months' detention.

The boy, now 15, committed most of his unlawful entries when aged 14 between last July and October.

Magistrate Jenny Blokland, when sentencing him last Friday, imposed the main penalty on one file comprising 16 enter and steal charges.

He had pleaded guilty to those charges and charges on three other files of unlawfully using a motor vehicle, two of stealing and one of driving unlicenced.

The magistrate re-sentenced the boy on six files for breaching suspended sentences, imposing sentences of one or two months on each, to be served concurrently.

Ms Blokland backdated the sentences to March 10 to take into account the month the boy had already served in detention, suspending the sentence after he serves five months.

She ordered that he be supervised after release and told him that he would have the three months' detention suspended "hanging over his head".

The magistrate said the unlawful entries into peoples' houses were the most serious offences.

"I hope by now you are coming to understand how hurtful and intrusive it is to have people come into your home," she said. "Many items were very valuable and some you treated with great disrespect."

The boy was possibly the youngest to go through the drug court's credit program, completing a counselling course.

Ms Blokland said she took this into account when sentencing and that the burglaries were committed in the company with an 18-year-old.

Defence lawyer Nick Espie said the boy now had a positive attitude towards his future.

Newshawk: Fiona Clarke
Pubdate: Mon, 18 April 2005
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Bob Watt
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: Northern Territory News 2005