Youths sentenced for rash of break-ins

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This article was published 23/04/2017 (2530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two of four youths charged in a rash of break-ins in a Steinbach neighbourhood three months ago have been sentenced to supervised probation and community service work.

The two teenaged boys, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty in Steinbach court on Thursday to charges of breaking and entering.

Crown attorney Amy Wood told the court that the pair, along with two other youths, stole items from at least two garages and six vehicles on Reimer Avenue, Poplar Crescent, and Walnut Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 8.

Police were called to the area around 2:30 a.m. by a homeowner who spotted the group breaking into his garage. A pair of distinctive checkered pants worn by one of the youths allowed police officers to apprehend him after a brief foot pursuit. By 6:30 a.m., the others had been identified and located, Wood said, thanks in part to cooperation from one of the teenagers.

An RCMP media release later in the month assisted homeowners in recovering many, but not all, of the stolen goods. Returned items included two GPS units, an iPod, jerry cans, a skateboard, two mountain bikes and a range of other smaller items.

“You had enough to start your own Canadian Tire store,” quipped Judge Ken Champagne.

Defence lawyer Mike Cook noted his client’s mother was very concerned about her son, while Rishi Bharath, lawyer for the second youth, said the property crimes were out of character for his client.

Alcohol was a factor for all four of the boys that night, Cook said.

“If he was 18, you would send him to Headingley’s correctional facility today,” Cook acknowledged to the judge. Champagne didn’t disagree, noting the day before he had handed a one-year prison sentence to an adult who faced similar charges.

Wood asked Champagne to impose one year of supervised probation, community service work, counselling, and a no-contact condition.

“The recommendation is a reasonable one,” said Champagne. He granted Wood’s request, doling out 75 hours of community service work to each of the boys and an additional 10 hours to one of the them for breaching a previous court-imposed curfew.

“I don’t expect to see either one of you again,” said the judge.

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