Crimewave boy, 11, found guilty of car theft
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An 11-year-old boy who has appeared in court more than 150 times was found guilty yesterday of taking a car after forcing his way into a house for the keys.
Aubrey Hampson, appearing for the 11-year-old, who has a string of convictions for car crime dating back two years, said: "For want of a better word he can be a bit of a scamp."
Cardiff Youth Court was told that the boy and two 16-year-old friends knocked on the door of a house in the city and pushed past a schoolgirl who was alone in the house. David Thomas, for the prosecution, said: "Splitting up, they went into different rooms. There was a bunch of keys, including the key to the car. Somebody took the key off and put them back, minus the car key. The three were acting jointly."
The boys then drove off with the family car from the driveway of the house. The girl did not notice the key was missing for about three hours, despite searching the boys before they left. The girl, aged 15, told the court: "I did not invite them in. I don't like the boys." The car was found undamaged.
All three boys denied burglary and taking a vehicle without consent, but were found guilty by magistrates. They will be sentenced later this month.
The 11-year was remanded into local authority care with the conditions that he observes a curfew between 7pm and 8am and does not get into a car without the consent of an adult.
The case against the 11-year-old is the latest in a series involving children. Sean McInerney, aged 12, was banned from an area of Liverpool under a new anti-social behaviour order for terrorising the neighbourhood with a baseball bat and knives. Triplets aged 13 were banned from hundreds of shops in Gillingham, Kent, for a "catalogue of unacceptable" offences.