Crimes NEWS

British Boy, 11, arrested FIFTY times has 17 convictions in just two years

Published by admin on January 1, 2010

Rogue: The boy was first arrested for stealing a bike, aged just nine, but has been held more than 50 times since then .

A boy of 11 who has already been arrested more than 50 times has become one of his town’s ten most prolific burglars.

The one-boy crimewave was given an electronic tag and confined to his children’s home in a bid to control him – but when he broke his curfew nine days running, magistrates simply gave up and removed the tag.

Staff at the children’s home have repeatedly proved unable to stop him coming and going as he pleases.

Now police in Croydon, South London, are simply waiting for the youngster to turn 12 in February, when it will finally become possible to detain him in secure accommodation.

The youth’s identity is protected by the courts, making it illegal to name him. But concerned officers have spoken out about their anger over his apparently uncontrollable offending.

Sent to a children’s home after his alcoholic mother proved incapable of looking after him, the youth was just nine years old when he was first arrested, in January 2008, for stealing a bike.

A month later the diminutive hoodie turned ten, meaning he could be prosecuted for his crimes. But fear of the courts has failed to deter him.

He is reputedly a member of the Croydon gang Certified Young Thugs, or CYT, but prefers to commit his numerous crimes on his own, without the assistance of any older accomplices.

And he has been arrested for a wide variety of offences including assault, robbery, theft, driving without consent, going equipped to steal, handling stolen goods, and breach of bail.

But it is his proficiency at burglary – in which he is aided by his youth and small size – which has caused most concern. As one of the ten most prolific burglars in Croydon, his house-breaking has a significant effect on the crime rate.

Police and the crown prosecution service have not always taken further action following his arrests, but he has been convicted on 17 charges and given penalties including fines, conditional discharges, and referrals for social services supervision.

His most recent arrest came on Christmas Eve when he was found in woods opening presents stolen in a burglary. Police wearying of his crimes fear his offending will soon involve drugs and firearms, and that he is likely to come to an untimely end.

Officers were amazed when magistrates’ response to his repeated breaking of a curfew was to remove the electronic tag being used to monitor him.

A police source said: ‘They thought there was no point having it. This is worse than a joke. Courts are not backing us up.

‘It can’t be right for his own welfare to be continually released and continually allowed to offend. It’s ridiculous. He’s currently on bail for four burglaries and two robberies.’

Another officer said: ‘We’re just waiting until he’s 12 so he can be put in secure accommodation. It seems that there’s nothing we can do until then to protect the public from him, and protect him from himself.’

A spokesman for the Judicial Communications Office, speaking for Croydon Youth Court, said: ‘A court’s powers of sentence in respect of an 11-year-old are limited.’

A spokesman for the Judicial Communications Office said: ‘A court’s powers of sentence in respect of an 11 year old are limited despite the record of offences that an individual accumulates.

‘A Detention & Training Order is not available for an 11 year old. Such an order is only
available for offenders aged 12 -17.’

Croydon Social Services declined to comment.

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