Crime spree teenager spared jail

A local 13 year old boy who robbed a woman, attacked his mother, manufactured homemade petrol bombs, possessed a knife and an imitation firearm and stole a taxi and crashed it, all in the space of three weeks, has been spared being sent to a young offenders institution.

The teenager, who cannot be identified because he is under 18, had previously spent eight weeks remanded in custody because he was deemed a danger to the public.

The boy caused thousands of pounds of damage when he crashed the taxi that he stole on 9 September. It was after his arrest for this offence that police found he was in possession of a knife.

Barely two weeks later he attacked his mother and damaged their home with an improvised Molotov cocktail. Two days later he committed an armed robbery on a 62 year old woman.

He admitted all the offences and was given a one-year community order.