Home detention for attempted armed robbery of dairy
A 17-year-old youth was intoxicated with synthetic drugs when he helped a younger teenager attempt a dairy robbery.
Jaron Levi Wilson was sentenced to eight months home detention after pleading guilty to the attempted armed robbery of a dairy in Sockburn in June.
Wilson was the driver, and owner of the pellet gun used in the attempt, but it was his 14-year-old co-offender who entered the dairy and confronted the shopkeeper with the gun.
In the Christchurch District Court, Crown prosecutor Kathy Basire said the gun was heavy, made of metal, and looked real, and the victim obviously thought it was real.
Wilson supplied the gun, the vehicle, and drove there, and then waited outside the shop as a lookout and the two ran off together, she said.
Public Defence lawyer Kerryn Beaton said Wilson was a classic contender for rehabilitation.
She said the two youths were intoxicated under synthetic drugs, and Wilson was adversely influenced by a world weary younger person.
It was the first time Wilson had been in trouble, he had strong whanau support, and was raised with strong values, she said.
Wilson was deeply remorseful for the fear he caused to the victim, and had written her a letter of apology.
Judge Gary MacAskill said on the afternoon of June 16 Wilson drove his co-offender to the dairy.
The co-offender approached the woman, pointed the pistol at her, and demanded money. He did not get any property from her before he ran from the shop.
The two were stopped by the Armed Offenders Squad a short time later and loaded firearms were pointed at them.
The pellet gun could not have inflicted a fatal or serious injury, but if it were loaded it could have caused blindness, he said.
Wilson was old enough to know better, and owed it to his co-offender to resist becoming involved, he said.
The victim was very frightened and it had affected how she felt about being in the shop. She was vulnerable as dairies were often a target.
Wilson’s pre-sentence report said his family were shocked by the offending. Wilson had slid into drug use because he was unhappy and angry, and the planned robbery was to get money for more drugs, Judge MacAskill said.
He said the co-offender had not yet been dealt with in the Youth Court.
He sentenced Wilson to home detention for eight months with six months post detention conditions to attend any rehabilitation programmes recommended by his probation officer.
He ordered the destruction of the pellet gun.
Category: Focus
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