Deportation recommended for serial youth offender (20)

Deportation recommended for serial youth offender (20)

The Royal Court heard yesterday that Portuguese national Bruno Alexandre Castro Vaz grabbed a man outside Spearmel Stores in St Helier on 27 December last year.

The 20-year-old admitted two charges of common assault, one of grave and criminal assault, one count of possessing an offensive weapon and one count of acting in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.

Vaz was sentenced to 18 months’ youth detention.

Outlining the case, Attorney General Robert MacRae,
prosecuting, told the court that on 4 August at 4.30pm Vaz entered McDonald’s in Halkett Place.

The court heard he was shouting at a member of staff before he hit him.

The court heard that the defendant then went to the rear of the fast-food restaurant and took his belt off and wrapped it around his hand. He then came back to the front of the property where police had arrived.

He told officers in a later interview that he had confronted the McDonald’s worker because of alleged comments made about the defendant’s girlfriend.

Addressing the court about the incident on 27 December,
Mr MacRae said that later that evening at 10.30pm, a man saw the defendant urinating on a wall, and Vaz began to repeat what the man was saying to another person. Words were exchanged, and the defendant pulled out a knife, and swore at him before saying, ‘I will stab you,’ the court heard. Vaz denies he said it.

When police caught up with Vaz he told them: ‘You’ve got the wrong guy.’ He told police that witnesses had seen a Crunch chocolate bar in his back pocket and not a knife. He later admitted that he did have a knife.

Advocate George Pearce, defending, said his client did not oppose the application to deport him to Madeira.

The advocate said: ‘Mr Vaz accepts his actions were wrong and takes responsibility. He entered guilty pleas to all five counts at the Magistrate’s Court and he should receive credit for that.’

Explaining his client’s background, Advocate Pearce said: ‘Mr Vaz had a disruptive childhood and didn’t know his biological father, who has since died. As a teen he was placed in the care system and was subject to rejection.’

Lieutenant Bailiff Anthony Olsen, presiding, said: ‘It is clear that customers were alarmed and it must have been very frightening. It was in a popular public place and the incident was disgraceful. He should been ashamed of himself.’

Addressing the recommendation for deportation, the Lieutenant Bailiff said: ‘We have no hesitation that his continued presence will be detrimental to the Island.’

Jurats Jane Ronge and Pamela Jane Pitman were sitting.

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