Youths face sentencing delays over robbery
No agreement has been reached at Family Group Conferences about how to handle the cases of two Christchurch teens charged with the violent robbery of a Woolston liquor outlet.
The youths aged 15 and 16 do not deny the charges of robbery and unlawfully getting into a car but now face more time in custody on remand at Youth Justice facilities while social work reports and plans are worked out.
The Family Group Conferences were arranged after the youths admitted their roles in the August 29 robbery in which a shop attendant had bottles of alcohol smashed over his head when he intervened in their attempt to steal the liquor.
The separate conferences can agree on a plan for the youths’ on-going rehabilitation, supervision, or living arrangements which would then have been put before Judge Jane McMeeken at their Youth Court at appearances yesterday.
But youth advocate Kristy O’Connor said no agreement had been reached.
Judge McMeeken remanded both youths to October 27 for the next stage. After the social work report and plan, she will call for submissions from the youth advocates and the Crown on how the case should be handled.
The court was told the one of the youths had been practising for a Kapa Haka performance during the morning and he appeared in court with the moko still drawn on his chin.
The other youth has been staying in Palmerston North where a bed was available but he was not present for the appearance in Christchurch yesterday. He had been going to stay in Christchurch after coming down for the Family Group Conference but asked to return to Palmerston North to play in a sporting fixture which could lead to selection for a representative side.
The second youth has written a letter of apology which has been given to the robbery victim. Judge McMeeken described it as “a good apology letter”.
Category: Focus
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