BRANDON, Man. — A 12-year-old boy in Brandon, Man., has been given 18 months of supervised probation for stealing a car and running a transit bus off the road into a building.
The boy, who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act,, was sentenced Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to a number charges, including theft of a motor vehicle and multiple breaches of recognizance.
The court heard that on Oct. 6, the boy and a girl were on a supervised outing with a group-home worker when he stole the worker's car, ran a red light and hit the bus.
The collision forced the bus into a building, causing between $1 million and $2 million in damage.
A bystander told police he grabbed the child as he tried to run away.
The boy told officers he had slowed for the light, but went through anyway and collided with the bus.
"The stealing of this car and the accident that ensued at the hands of (the accused) ... is one of the most excessive incidents that I have seen," said Crown prosecutor Kaley Tschetter.
Records show the boy has been a frequent runaway and ward of Child and Family Services who has been involved in an arson, car thefts, drug and weapons possession, robberies, assaults, uttering death threats and a near-fatal stabbing.
In each case, he couldn’t be charged because the Youth Criminal Justice Act doesn’t apply to children under 12, but he had turned 12 prior to the October incident.
Tschetter told court the group-home worker stopped at another group home and went inside to pass along a set of keys while the boy and girl were left in the car.
The vehicle — a Lincoln MKS — had a push start and the employee took the key fob with her, but as she was walking back to the car, she saw the brake lights flash and the boy in the driver’s seat.
The worker and the key fob were in range to allow the ignition to be started. She ran to the vehicle, pushing the lock and panic buttons on the fob to try to stop it, but the boy pulled away.
The crash, which happened a short time later, totalled the car and left the city in need of a new bus. The damage estimate on the building was about $1 million.
Tschetter noted the boy has spent just under a month in custody due to the offence and a number of breaches to the conditions of his recognizance.
Defence lawyer Jennifer Janssens agreed with the Crown’s recommendation, adding the boy has a lot of resources dedicated to him.
"He understands the seriousness of his offences ... to the extent that he can as a 12-year-old," said Janssens. "He’s had immediate consequences every time he’s stepped a toe out of line." (Brandon Sun)
Brandon Sun
