16-year-old Geraldton boy appears in court after being convicted on car theft, burglary and assault charges

A 16-year-old who has been convicted of 46 charges, including stealing motor vehicles, aggravated burglary, stealing, criminal damage by fire, and assault has appeared in Geraldton Children’s Court. The charges took place in just under a year, starting with two aggravated robberies in May 9, 2022 and ending with a charge of obstructing a police officer who attempted to arrest him on April 11 this year. Police prosecutor Senior Constable Paul White told the court the boy had assaulted a woman who had a restraining order against him, pushing her down to the ground and striking her on the leg and ribs in an attack in Waggrakine on October 24, 2022. The court was also told he was involved in five instances of stealing various motor vehicles, in several cases smashing the windows of the vehicles to gain access, and once stole $2000 in cash from a Toyota Kluger. The boy’s lawyer, Fintan Roberts, asked Magistrate Angus Hockton to place the boy on a new JCRO or an intensive youth supervision order, rather than putting him in detention. Mr Roberts told the magistrate the boy was making efforts to receive counselling and training, and suffered from trauma and insomnia. He also pointed out that, other than one offence of obstructing a police officer in April, he hadn’t broken the law since January. “We do not have a recidivist . . . he is only 16 and a half and he is doing everything he can do,” Mr Roberts said. Sen. Const. White agreed a release order was the appropriate sentence. “I’ve seen him come and go, he is trying to do the right thing but he has his lapses,” he said. Mr Hockton told the boy he would not make a decision on his sentence until next week, but said he would not receive detention.