A 16 year old boy, who was 15 at the time of his offence, was sentenced to three and a half years in HMP Northward on Wednesday 11^th December by High Court Judge Charles Quin.

The boy already had committed a number of crimes and his latest was to rob the Lookout Bodden Town grocery store on 28^th May. He pleaded guilty to the offence that included possession of an imitation firearm and assault of a member of the public who tried to prevent the crime. The boy made off with $900 before escaping on a bicycle but witnesses spotted him leaving and promptly alerted the police.

He was quickly arrested and later charged.

The boy was known to the Department of Child and Family Services as he was born addicted to crack. As a child, both his parents neglected him. His mother has severe drug and alcohol problems, and his father has a long criminal history with over 90 convictions including violence and has been to jail many times.

The boy was taken into care when he was very young and when he was at the Bonaventure Boys Home he ran away eight times.

Justice Quin said both parents blame each other for the situation with their son and take no responsibility for their role as parents.

After giving his verdict Judge Quin said, “It is the sincere hope of this court that this young defendant will be immediately enrolled in educational programmes whilst in custody so that in the less than three years ahead he will equip himself to change the course of his life and become a productive member of this society.”

The judge noted that the boy had begun to take responsibility for his crimes.

The boy cannot be named because of his age.