Child with 125 convictions has bail rejected, along with accomplice with 32 charges by Geraldton magistrate

A child with 125 convictions, who has been charged with 92 offences alone in 2022, will spend Christmas at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre after he committed more crimes. The 13-year-old appeared in Geraldton Children’s Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary and one count of stealing. He was released on bail last week, but was warned any further offending would see him behind bars for Christmas. Early on Tuesday, the boy and a group of friends broke into Tarcoola Takeaway, stealing bottles of soft drink worth $10, before breaking into Mount Tarcoola Primary School. The boy was breaching his curfew at the time, which his lawyer claimed was because he couldn’t find a way home. The boy’s lawyer requested bail with the condition of a 24-hour curfew. The boy’s recent history with the legal system began in November when he was released after a month in custody on a supervision order. On November 16, he allegedly committed two burglaries, and was granted bail following that. Then on November 26 it is alleged he breached his curfew with attempted stealing and was denied bail. On December 13 he was released on bail after a change in circumstances, but two days later he allegedly committed another burglary and was arrested before again being granted bail by a Perth court. Police prosecutor Sgt Beau Jones said the boy had 125 convictions, and was at one point a top-five offender in Western Australia. “There are just no conditions that can be put in place to prevent reoffending,” Sgt Jones said. Magistrate Evan Shackleton described putting a child in custody as a “last resort”, and while he acknowledged the boy had already spent 75 days in custody, he said he didn’t believe there were any conditions that could prevent the boy from reoffending given his history. The boy will return to court on January 10. In the prior hearing of the day, the boy’s 15-year old accomplice pleaded guilty to the same charges. The boy is facing 32 charges, according to the prosecution, and likewise the 15-year old’s bail application was denied. “If I was a gambling man, yes I would say he is likely to reoffend,” Mr Shackleton said of the accomplice.