A TWELVE-year-old boy who stole a number of articles from a vehicle belonging to a retired police officer, has been sentenced to a three-year stay at the New Opportunity Corps, a juvenile detention centre at Onderneeming, on the Essequibo Coast.

The ruling was made by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus after consultations with Police Prosecutor Sergeant, Phillip Sherriff and Senior Probation and Social Services Officer, Ms. Egla October, at the New Amsterdam Court, where the juvenile had earlier pleaded guilty to the offence of simple larceny.

Sherriff had suggested three years’ detention until the offender attained the age of sixteen, but Ms. October was somewhat hesitant in making a suggestion, and opted for the Court to make the final decision.

Reporting on the delinquent’s background, the Probation Officer noted that after the juvenile was questioned about his reasons for leaving school without permission, he said that he would often do so in order to steal.

Reference was made also about another incident when he was sent to church one evening, but took the opportunity to steal a cell phone before returning to the place of worship.

The adolescent had submitted that he had stolen from several persons, prior to the current offence, but was never charged or placed before the courts.

Further, the child confessed to being caught with others as they broke and entered another man’s vehicle in the vicinity of the New Amsterdam Hospital.

According to October, the boy’s mother said that prior to this charge, she was called on numerous occasions to visit the police station, as he was often held for a number of theft matters.

Meanwhile, the boy acknowledged that he is aware of the difference between right and wrong and also what the Bible teaches about stealing, but still he does not know why he was committing such acts.

He was born on May 26, 2002 and is the fourth of nine children, the eldest being eighteen years old, and a member of the Guyana Defence Force.

During his younger years, his mother, due to economic hardships, was forced to place her child along with a younger sibling at the Alpha Children’s Home at Gay Park, East Bank Berbice. However after a short stay, he was returned to her by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Winston Benjamin, the virtual complainant, said that on November 28 last he went to use his vehicle, PHH 8604, a Toyota Hilux Surf, which was parked in front of his home, at lot 11 Cummingsville, New Amsterdam, when he saw the delinquent in the back seat sorting things from the glove compartment.
Upon checking, Benjamin discovered that a cellular phone, a battery lamp, a shower blind, a perfume set, a charger and US$3 were missing, a total value of $67,600.

The boy indicated that it was not the first time he had broken into the complainant’s vehicle, but it was the first time he was caught.