Teen sentenced over Maryborough boat fire

A teen who had a “horrifically difficult” start to life has been sentenced after he smashed a TV and set fire to a boat.

A teenager who smashed a television before setting a man’s boat on fire has faced court.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of wilful damage and one count of arson when he faced the Maryborough Children’s Court on Tuesday.

The court heard on February 22, 2022, when the boy was 14, he had entered a man’s boat with another boy, smashing a television and lighting a fire.

The boat was completely destroyed by the fire and sank, the court was told.

The man was not living on the boat at the time, but all his possessions were on the boat, the court was told.

The teen had no prior criminal history, the court was told.

Defence barrister Ed Whitten said the teenager had a “horrifically difficult” start to life, growing up without a mother.

He had been subject to a child safety order “effectively from birth”, Mr Whitten said.

His father had a drinking problem and a tendency towards violence, he said.

The teenager was currently living in Kingaroy and had support from various agencies.

He was hoping to re-enrol at school, Mr Whitten said.

At the time of the offence, the teen had been effectively living on the street and had been befriended by the owner of the boat, who gave him some refuge on the boat.

Emergency crews raced to the scene of a boat fire on the Mary River at Maryborough.

The teen said the man had been kind to him, but the man was a user of methamphetamine and on at least one occasion had supplied the substance to the teen.

That had played into the situation but did not justify what the teen had done, Mr Whitten said.

Judge Vicki Loury said the teenager had not been in trouble with the police before or after the incident.

“So that tends to suggest you’ve not fell in with a bad crowd, even though you’ve had some hardship in your life and you’re doing your best to try to make something for yourself,” she said.

Judge Loury said the boy had support now that he had moved to Kingaroy and he had stable accommodation.

“I know that you’ve had some hardships in your life,” she said.

“These are things that should not have happened.”

But she said it was impressive that the teenager was working to turn his life around and had a goal of finding employment.

The teenager was sentenced to six months on probation and no conviction was recorded.