Geraldton serial thief, 12, better behaved after giving up cannabis but told he faces detention if he reoffends

A 12-year-old serial burglar from Geraldton has kept out of trouble since quitting “ganja” and returning to school, a court has heard. The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, faced Geraldton Children’s Court last week for sentencing on three aggravated home burglaries and three counts of stealing. “He’s been going to school for one hour, three days a week,” lawyer Kate Turtley-Chappel told the court. “He tells me he’s stopped using ganja.” Some of the burglaries — in Wonthella, Bluff Point, and Rangeway — happened while the boy was on an intensive youth supervision order for similar offending. Prosecuting Sgt Tanja Wentzel said it was “concerning” to see a 12-year-old now on his “second strike” for home burglaries. “Anything the community can do to get him on the straight and narrow would be beneficial,” she said. Magistrate Chris Miocevich sentenced the boy to a 10-month intensive youth supervision order, taking into account a brief stint spent in custody after his arrest. “You didn’t like Banksia Hill (Detention Centre),” he said. “It’s pretty simple, if you just do what’s required — and you haven’t reoffended since those last offences in September — then you won’t go back there. “You’re still a very young age. It hasn’t reached the stage where we’re going to give up on you and lock you up.” Mr Miocevich told the boy to “walk away” if he found himself in a situation where his friends were breaking into houses. “You might get teased for it,” he said. “If you do, you just need to think: you don’t want to go down to Banksia. “You’re getting into three strikes territory, so if you do another home burglary, by law I have to give you 12 months detention down at Banksia Hill.”