String of offences admitted by youths
Saturday 6th March 2010, 12:00PM GMT.
Two youths have admitted a string of offences after they broke into cars and sheds in Whitchurch.
The boys, who are 14 and 16 but cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared yesterday at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court where they admitted a range of offences.
Both boys received a three-month referral order to the Youth Offending Service and they were both ordered to pay £450 compensation.
The youths were charged with a theft from a motor vehicle in Beech Avenue, in Whitchurch, of a pair of boots and a mobile phone worth a total of £60, and a burglary from a shed of a generator and other items worth a total of £875.
The 14-year-old also admitted a public order offence which happened in Market Drayton.
Both boys also admitted seven other offences.
These were two counts of entering sheds and searching them and five counts of searching vehicles.
A CD radio and a chainsaw were removed from one of the vehicles. All of the offences took place in and around Beech Avenue and Chestnut Close, in the town.
The 14-year-old also asked for the theft of a pair of socks from a shop in Green End to be taken into consideration.
Mr Neil Campbell, who represented both youths, said they had been encouraged to take part in the offences by an older boy.
“In the vast majority of cases it was the older boy, who has never been charged, who committed the thefts,” he said.
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Once again a case of criminals getting the kid glove treatment. A 14 and 16 year old fined 450 pounds each and who will pay this fine?, yes the parents and before someone says they are to blame, well, maybe in some cases but NOT all. I too was in trouble when I was younger and my parents were definitely not to blame, I managed it all on my own. I did say a few weeks ago on the issue of soft prisons that a good sharp custodial sentence at the start of a criminal career is a damn good deterrent, not a slap on the wrist like this. I always found that magistrates are totally out of touch with reality when it comes to sentencing and this case proves it. Despite their young ages they are criminals and should have been treated as such. Any bets on how long it will be before they are back “up the steps” again?, not very long for sure. No wonder crime is on the up in the UK, the magistrates are encouraging it.
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