ARSON ATTACK TEENS SENTENCED
TWO teenage boys have been sentenced for an arson attack on a former conservative club.
The two 14-year-olds were charged with arson with intent or reckless as to whether life was endangered following a fire at the former Barry Docks Conservative Club on Station Street in Barry on May 15.
Firefighters spent more than five hours battling the fire at the three-storey derelict building as flames broke through the roof and the road was closed off.
The teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Cardiff Magistrates Court for sentencing for the offence yesterday.
One was also sentenced at the hearing for two separate charges of common assault which took place in Barry.
Both had previously entered guilty pleas for the offences.
District Judge Stephen Harmes told the court he had received two background reports on the youths.
Judge Harmes said both offenders had been exposed to “extremely troubled personal circumstances” that may have been a contributing factor in their offending.
One 14-year-old boy appeared for sentencing for the arson, alongside a common assault charge on two adults which took place on March 16 of this year and another common assault on a youth which took place on May 2. All of the offences took place in Barry. Judge Harmes said that the nature and frequency of offences in his case categorised him as a persistent young offender, which he would take into account during sentencing.
He was given a 12-month youth rehabilitation order with intensive surveillance requiring him to make eight contacts per month with a youth offending team.
The 14-year-old will also be subject to a 90-day curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am enforced by electronic tag.
Addressing the teenager, Judge Harmes said: “That is the most difficult order I can make you do. It is the one that makes you do the most things but it is also designed to cause you the most benefit.”
The second teenager, who was a firsttime offender, was given a 12-month referral order requiring him to attend a programme to highlight the dangers of setting fires.
Both will also undertake a restorative meeting with Hafod Housing, who owned the derelict building, as well as local residents who live on the same street.
Judge Harmes said the damage to the property totalled about £410,000.
Summing up, Judge Harmes said: “I accept from both of you that you didn’t realise that it could have put lives at risk.
“But that was verging on a half a million pound property that burnt down and neither of you could begin to provide recompense to the owner of that building.”