16yearold jailed for 5 years

ROTORUA: A 16yearold is to spend five years in jail for his part in an attack on Rotorua youth residence staff by three inmates who stole the facility’s keys and escaped.

Sentencing the teenager in the Rotorua District Court yesterday, Judge Phillip Cooper noted that, while on the run, the group forced their way into a ‘‘plucky’’ 91yearold Rotorua woman’s home, knocking her out of her wheelchair, leaving her bruised and sore.

However, the law only allowed for him to sentence the youth on the aggravated wounding charge he faced in relation to the youth facility escape on November 17 last year.

A youth court judge had declined to deal with him, sending him to the district court.

Before sentencing, Judge Cooper watched CCTV footage of the attack on the facility staff who were assaulted as demands were made for their keys.

He said the trio hatched an escape plan that included drawing a diagram of the facility’s layout.

The youth had feigned a headache, asking one of the men to get him paracetamol and when he returned he and a fellow staffer were attacked.

Both had been admitted to hospital and continued to have lasting effects from their beatings.

Judge Cooper ruled the youth’s name not be published in the interest of justice and his possible future rehabilitation.

He has to spend time in youth custody until he turns 17 and becomes eligible to go to an adult jail.

One cooffender has been dealt with by the youth court and the other has yet to appear before the Manukau District Court. — NZN