A 15-YEAR-OLD who previously admitted taking a knife into a St Helier school yesterday admitted six further violent offences.
The teenager – who cannot be named due to his age – pleaded guilty to two offences relating to the knife incident at Haute Vallée on Monday 10 February.
In a Youth Court hearing at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, a further six charges were presented including attempted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to an incident in St Brelade on Saturday 7 February.
Further charges included a grave and criminal assault on 6 February and the theft of “two pairs of sunglasses, a padel racquet and a bluetooth phone adapter” from an unattended motor vehicle on the same day, illegal entry with intent to commit a crime namely larceny and one count of common assault.
He admitted all charges.
Legal adviser Kerry Grieve, prosecuting, asked for the case to be transferred to the Royal Court for sentencing.
She said: “There is little precedent I can point the panel to in terms of how the court has dealt with offences of this nature previously, for a youth of [the defendant]’s age and previous offending.
“However, the prosecution position is that the matter should be sent to the Royal Court, as a sentence in excess of 12 months is likely.
“The offences with which the defendant is charged – and he’s now been convicted of – attract in a case of a person 21 or over a sentence of 14 years or more.”
Ms Grieve referred to a “number of aggravating features” to the overall offending.
These included the defendant brandishing a knife to a “member of the public in her own home” and “another child whilst they were at school”.
She added: “Whilst, fortunately, there has been little physical harm, the impact of that offending cannot be underestimated.
“Furthermore, whilst these offences are perhaps unsophisticated, they were deliberate and planned.”
She noted that the 15-year-old “admitted in interview that he brought a knife to Haute Vallée school to exact revenge for a previous dispute”. She added: “There are also messages that have been obtained from the defendant’s phone that support the robbery also being planned.”
Advocate Adam Harrison, defending, suggested that the court give “anxious consideration” to whether the Royal Court would be “suitable” as a venue for sentencing.
Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke, presiding, opted to send the case to the Royal Court.
“Some of the offences that you have pleaded guilty to are what’s called common law offences, which means potential sentence isn’t limited”, he explained to the defendant.
He added that there was a “strong possibility” the teenager would receive a sentence in excess of 12 months, moving the case beyond the limits of the Magistrate’s Court.
The teenager was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 21 April at the Royal Court.
Mr Clarke told the defendant: “A member of the probation service will be speaking to you on several occasions to understand your background and understand how we’ve got to where we’ve got to today.
“It is really important that you engage with that process.”
