February 05, 2013

Teen jailed for 'cycle of violence'

By David Clarkson

Extreme violent behaviour by a 17-year-old with gang connections has stretched the staff and the centre at Te Puna Wai youth justice facility to breaking point.

The teen ? Bailey Desmond Sanders ? had only turned 17 a month before his series of violent outbursts in the Rolleston centre sent him to the Christchurch District Court for guilty pleas and sentencing.

Up to the age of 17, teenagers are regarded as youth offenders.

Sanders is a long way from home, having been sent from Kaikohe in the Far North to attend a Child, Youth, and Family military activity camp in Canterbury. He was quickly moved from there to the secure facility at Te Puna Wai.

Defence counsel Anna Lloyd told Judge Paul Kellar of the teen?s background, with gang associations and being exposed to drugs from an early age.

?He does want to change the course of life,? she said at Sanders? sentencing on seven charges. He still had the support of his grandparents in Kaikohe.

Judge Kellar said Sanders turned 17 ? and entered the adult jurisdiction ? on October 27, and his series of violent offences began on November 19.

When he was required to go to his room at the centre, with two others, he tried to break off a table to use it as a weapon, threatened to kill a staff member, and lunged at him to try to stab him. He was restrained by staff and the blow did not connect.

Two days later he set off sprinklers and used clothing to block the drains, causing a flood.

On December 20, as he was being moved, he ran away into a courtyard. He began brandishing a piece of wood and threatening staff, and caused bruising when he struck one staff member on the leg. He punched another staff member who received a minor injury.

Judge Kellar said: ?This offending involves quite serious violence and use of a weapon against people who are there to support you.

?Te Puna Wai is in a difficult position. Staff and facilities are being stretched to breaking point trying to deal with you. It is ill equipped to deal with such extreme behaviour.?

He noted that Sanders had shown no remorse. The pre-sentence report said his life had been characterised by violence and he was seen as a high risk of further offending because of his gang connections.

?You are assessed as a high risk to the community. That makes very sad reading for one so young. I would like to think there are things you care about enough to make changes in your life, but you have got some major obstacles to overcome.?

He reduced the sentence because of Sanders? age and guilty pleas to the charges of wilful damage, threatening to kill, and the series of assaults including assault with intent to injure.

He jailed the teenager for 10 months, with six months of special release conditions to follow his sentence, and he ordered no reparation for the damage because there was no prospect of Sanders paying it.

The judge said: ?This is all designed to get you out of the system. Perhaps the best things might be to get a job, live somewhere stable, form some attachments to people, and just stop this cycle of violence.?