Court told of ram-raid teen’s unpromising start
A teen’s unpromising start in life as the son of a notorious criminal has been described in court as he began a jail term for a series of New Brighton ram raids.
Terrance McDonald, an 18-year-old from Phillipstown, was doing all right this year until his older brother returned home after a jail term and involved him in the escapade in July.
McDonald admitted unlawfully taking a four-wheel drive vehicle and using it to ram-raid two service stations and a dairy, and then driving dangerously, and failing to stop for the police.
Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish jailed him for 25 months, but urged the Parole Board that will consider his release in three months after a long time in custody on remand, to take into account the positive outcome of his restorative justice meeting with one of his victims.
The sentencing was delayed in October so that the restorative justice meeting could take place.
Defence counsel Steve Hembrow told the court that McDonald’s older brother, 21-year-old Hamish Alex McDonald – earlier jailed for 25 months for the same ram raids – was a very bad influence.
The boys’ father was a notorious criminal, but their mother had been “valiant” in trying to keep the boys and the family on the straight and narrow.
Terrance McDonald now wanted to distance himself from the brother, finish his jail term, get some training and get into a job, he said.
Judge Farish told Terrance McDonald: “You have got a really good mum, who stands by you. It must have been very hard on her coming back to court this year, with both sons being sentenced to imprisonment.”
With the mother looking on in the courtroom, Judge Farish urged McDonald to “make the right choices”. He was not defined by his father’s background, she said.
She ordered the teenager to pay his $800 half share of the damage done in the ram raids, by instalments after his release from prison.
Category: News
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