Devon Park teen released on bail after Brickworks, Greenwith business break-ins

A 14-year-old boy has pleaded with a court “one last opportunity to behave” after being charged over a series of break-ins at stores across Adelaide.

A 14-year-old Devon Park boy is out on bail after pleading with a court for “one last opportunity to behave” following his arrest earlier this month over a spate of break-ins in metropolitan Adelaide.

The teen, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, appeared in the Adelaide Youth Court via video link on Tuesday after making an application for home detention bail on February 8.

Almost a dozen small businesses have been broken into at shopping centres at Torrensville, Greenwith and Para Hills. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

Tim McGrath, for the defendant, said he was seeking “bail of last resort” for the teen to reside with his grandmother.

“I ask that he be given one last opportunity to behave,” Mr McGrath said.

“He has one pillar of strength respectively left in his framework of family. That is his grandmother.

“He is now the second generation of disadvantage that comes from this family. (His) mum has her own difficulties, he’s clearly having his own difficulties, and it’s proposed that he resides with his grandma - his nanna.”

Almost a dozen small businesses have been broken into at shopping centres at Torrensville, Greenwith and Para Hills. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

Mr McGrath said the boy’s grandmother had assured him on an “ongoing basis” she would provide a stable and strict environment for the teen.

“(She will) notably break that nexus between him and this offending which is contact with the other boys,” he said.

“I’ll emphasise to him over and over that this is the last chance that he will have.”

Police arrested three youths, aged 14 and 15, after multiple small businesses were broken into and their tills stolen across three different shopping centres during an overnight crime spree in the early hours on February 7, from the Brickworks up to Greenwith and Para Hills.

Bofei Hou of Chillilulu at the Brickworks shopping centre, who was one of the business owners targeted. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Four businesses were broken into at the Brickworks in Torrensville, with the others at Highland Valley Shopping Centre in Greenwith and at a Para Hills shopping centre.

Magistrate Michael Jandy accepted Mr McGrath’s application, granting the teen a home detention bail.

“(Home detention) is going to be hard, and I know it’s not easy, but it’s better than where you are,” Mr Jandy said to the teen.

“Your grandma has been very supportive and she’s prepared to continue to be supportive of you.

“As far as I’m concerned, if you can do a couple weeks on home detention without any dramas, I’d be prepared to look at reducing your conditions of bail to give you a bit more freedom.”

Those conditions include the non-consumption of alcohol or drugs - with random testing - no contact with the other teens also charged over the break-ins, and to stay at least 300m away from the shops he’s alleged to have gone to and committed crimes at.

Mr Jandy wished the defendant “good luck” moving forward.

“I hope that the next time I see you you’re looking at me in the flesh,” he said.

The 14-year-old was bailed to appear in Adelaide Youth Court in March.