‘Fatality waiting to happen’: teen menace back on the streets after swarming shop thefts
A criminal aged just 14 has been released back onto the streets, despite leading police on a near-fatal high speed chase and being in a gang responsible for JB Hi-Fi swarming attacks across Melbourne.
North West
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A young criminal who almost hit a man and his dog while driving at high-speed to evade capture for a raft of “swarming” shop thefts is now free to roam the streets.
The 14-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – appeared via video link at a children’s court on January 30 for offences including dangerous driving while being pursued by police, drug possession and committing indictable offences while on bail.
The teen was part of a gang of swarming thieves or “negative social groups” who stole from shopping centres across Melbourne.
The court heard the boy almost hit a man and his dog, and drove through several red lights in a brazen attempt to evade capture.
His arrest came after Victoria Police set up Operation Burns to combat thefts on retails stores such as JB Hi-Fi and Rebel Sport.
The boy’s lawyer conceded her client’s offending was “quite bold”.
“People have been quite afraid,” she said.
Magistrate Mike Wardell said the “frequency” of the swarming offences was “alarming”.
“The fear they (swarming shop theft) generate for staff in the shops is considerable,” he said.
However, Magistrate Wardell said the boy’s driving offences were “perhaps worse”.
“You ran red lights and narrowly missed a man walking his dog,” he said.
“It’s extraordinary for all (no one was killed).”
The boy – who only grunted “yeah” throughout the entire hearing – never addressed Magistrate Wardell as ‘your honour’.
He sat through most of his appearance with a smirk on his face bar for the couple of times he yawned.
The teen was bailed last year but rearrested on January 22 after he breached bail conditions.
His lawyer submitted the boy hadn’t offended since October 2019.
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Magistrate Wardell – who said the boy’s engagement with youth justice was “patchy” or “average at best” – suggested authorities be a “bit more hands on” when the boy is released.
“(He’s) committed five or six indictable offences while on bail,” Magistrate Wardell said.
The boy was given a 12-month youth supervision order.
He was also disqualified from obtaining a driver’s licence for 12 months.