TERRACE’S TEENAGE arsonist will spend 18 months on probation with conditions.
The 13-year-old, who cannot be named or identified according to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to one count of arson at Teaching Tools and three breaches that all occurred last year.
When asked by judge Terence Wright if he wanted to say anything, he declined, but his mother did speak to the court.
“I just want to apologize for what my son put [the city] through. He is my son and he is my responsibility,” she said.
Wright commended her support for her son.
“I’ve noted that you have been here nearly every time and it’s noteworthy that you are here to support him,” said Wright.
On November 2, 2011, around 1:30 a.m., Terrace RCMP received a report of what was called a fire bomb thrown at a tree behind the Teaching Tools store, said prosecutor Bill Funnell in recalling the circumstances of the charge.
The device caused an explosion, charring the back wall of the building and the tree, leaving melted debris between the tree and the store, court heard.
On December 2, 2011, the teen breached his curfew by being out of his residence between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., court heard.
On December 16, 2011 around 3 a.m., an RCMP officer spotted the teen near the 4600 block of Haugland Ave. even though he was still bound by his curfew, court heard.
He was also found in possession of two lighters which breached a court-ordered condition he was under, court heard.
Since he had been released from custody April 30 of this year, he had not breached any of his release conditions, court heard.
The boy had spent 137 days in custody in total, court heard.
For the first six months of his probation, he will be under an intense supervision, said Wright.
The teen will be carefully monitored and, while he might see it as punishment, the goal is to keep him from coming back to court, said Wright.
His probation conditions include not being in possession of lighters, matches, gasoline or other devices used to start fires, not going within 200 metres of the intersection of Kalum St. and Greig Ave. unless he has written permission from his supervisor and to abide by a curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless he has written permission from his youth probation worker, or is in the company of his mother or another responsible adult.