A masked youth with a “significant offending history” who knocked a 72-year-old woman to the ground in Peterborough and stole her bank card, was given an 18 month Youth Referral Order normally reserved for first time offenders.
Detective Constable Megan Sims, who investigated, said: “Despite only being 17, the boy has a significant offending history including two convictions for four separate instances of robbery or attempted robbery which have resulted in prison sentences.
“As part of his latest sentence, the Youth Referral Order will seek to rehabilitate him and get him on the right path and hopefully away from the violent behaviour he has shown.”
The teenager admitted robbing the 72-year-old woman in Peterborough when he appeared at Huntingdon Youth Court on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named by law, approached the woman in Nabs Lane, Dogsthorpe, on the afternoon of 16 June and demanded money.
Wearing a mask over his face, he grabbed the woman’s bag and pushed her to the ground before running off.
He used the woman’s stolen bank card four times during the following hour, before it was blocked by the bank, but was captured on CCTV and identified by detectives.
He was arrested at his home in Peterborough on 20 June where police found some of the woman’s stolen property in the boy’s bedroom.
He appeared at Huntingdon Youth Court on Wednesday (21 August) where he admitted robbery and fraud by false representation – namely using stolen bank cards.
He was ordered to pay £150 in compensation to the victim and sentenced to an 18-month Youth Referral Order.
A police spokesperson explained that this is “the first community sentence given to most first-time young offenders, requiring them to attend a youth offender panel made up of two members of the local community and an advisor from a youth offending team, where they will agree a contract of certain commitments”.
The youth court also ordered the 17 year old attacker to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and adhere to a curfew between 7pm and 7am until 18 November.
He has also been banned from Paston for the next six months
