Prolific Geraldton child offenders given suspended orders and urged to think about their futures

A 13-year old described as “one of Western Australia’s most prolific offenders” — with more than 130 convictions on his record — has been spared more time behind bars, in the hope a stable household and school life will let him turn his life around. The boy and his 15-year-old accomplice appeared in Geraldton Children’s Court on Friday, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated burglary and stealing. The 13-year-old was sentenced over a number of charges, including four counts of burglary and stealing, and one of obstructing a public officer. These incidents included breaking into a granny flat and shed on November 16, stealing a ceremonial dagger and didgeridoo, then pushing police officers and resisting entering a police vehicle when arrested. In an incident on November 26, the boy smashed a window of a car, taking a purse and phone, and on December 20 he broke into Tarcoola Takeaway and Mount Tarcoola Primary School. The boy has 131 convictions against his name, including 21 burglaries, and has previously breached 34 various orders. The boy’s lawyer, Fintan Roberts, said the boy had suffered a number of unfortunate circumstances, which had led to a year of repeat offending. Mr Roberts pointed to a history of neglect and abuse — physical and emotional — which had culminated in him leaving his home in December 2021, after which the offending spree began. If released from custody, Mr Roberts said the boy would live with his mother and siblings, in his own home with his own room, and would be returning to school where he had had a strong attendance record before leaving home. With those prospects ahead of him, Mr Roberts argued it would be detrimental to any hope of rehabilitation if the boy was detained. However, police prosecutor Sergeant Ross Gray urged Magistrate Angus Hockton to consider detention, arguing the boy had “been given multiple opportunities to change his ways” and the chance of him reoffending was high. As part of his message to the boy, Mr Hockton read out the letter of a victim of his burglary, a cancer patient who was in Perth at the time of the incident receiving chemotherapy. In the letter, the victim described how they had lost irreplaceable items, and said they felt such anxiety and fear now that they couldn’t bear to be in their home by themselves. Mr Hockton decided not to detain the boy, saying he still had the potential to turn things around, and instead handed him a 10-month intensive youth supervision order. The boy has already spent 157 days in custody in Banskia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre for various charges, which the magistrate acknowledged in his decision. Mr Hockton urged the boy to think about his future. “The choice is yours,” he said. In a prior hearing, the 15-year-old, who had joined the 13-year old in the burglaries on December 20, and took part in a crime spree on July 16 during which buildings including Geraldton Golf Club and Aquarena were broken into, was also sentenced. Mr Roberts pointed to a recent neuro-psychological report that revealed the boy had impaired executive function skills, language and learning disorders, a possible neuro-cognitive disorder, and potentially ADHD — issues which he said should be treated rather than punished. This boy was given an eight-month supervision order.