A 17-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to carrying a knife during Grand Kadooment, just one week after appearing before a magistrate on a separate charge.
“It seems like some young men in this country have a problem avoiding crime,” Magistrate Jared Richards said. “I spoke to you last week at length, so what are you doing back here?”
Police were on duty at the Mighty Grynner Highway’s junction with Rihanna Drive, where they observed a large crowd of young men pelting bottles and throwing rocks in the area, prosecutor Station Sergeant Vernon Forde told the District ‘A’ Traffic Court.
The officers intervened and, when they went to apprehend one of the culprits involved, the accused pulled an orange-handled knife from his pocket and ran towards a male involved in the incident, but was quickly disarmed and subdued. Assistance was sought to apprehend the others involved, but the group fled towards Bridgetown.
“Why did you leave home with the knife?” the magistrate asked.
The teen shook his head in reply. Richards said: “So you left home looking for trouble because that is all it could be.”
After speaking with a probation officer who was present in court, the magistrate said: “I was going to put you on probation, but I understand that you already are, so today’s conviction is a clear breach of that probation. The officer has asked for a chance for you so you will do community service. Hopefully that keeps you busy enough to keep yourself out of foolish trouble.”
He was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and placed on a daily 12-hour curfew
The magistrate told the young offender: “You need to wise up. You are the one ending up in trouble with none of the rest of your friends here to say ‘He is a good fella’. Pick sense from that and change your course. This is your last chance.”
The teen will return to court on October 13 for a progress report.
(JB)
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