Street robber aged 11 brought before court

Youth justices told the boy only his age had saved him from a spell in custody after hearing how he and a 14-year-old friend dogged their victims from Monk Bar to Heworth Green before mugging them and escaping.

The 11-year-old, from the north side of the city, and the 14-year-old, from the east side, admitted three offences of robbery each. The older boy was in breach of a conditional discharge imposed in July for shoplifting.

Both boys were given 12-month supervision orders and told to pay £70 court costs each.

The younger boy was also ordered to pay £11.15 compensation.

Each of the boys also had a parent bound over for 12 months to keep them under control.

During the sentencing of the 14-year-old, Graham Silvester, prosecuting, read out statements from the three victims, all aged 13 when they were robbed on October 22.

They described how the robbers approached the trio near Monk Bar on mountain bikes and started an argument over schools.

The 11-year-old spat at one of the victims.

As the trio walked away from the city centre, the robbers followed, at times obstructing them or pushing them, the statements continued.

At Heworth Green, the robbers started searching their victims. The 14-year-old told them they would be killed if they didn't hand over their money.

Mr Silvester said one of the victims described how the 11-year-old shone a laser pen during the robberies.

The robbers took £4 from one boy, 80p from another and a wallet with cash worth together £17.50 from a third.

For the 11-year-old, who was sentenced shortly before the 14-year-old by a different Bench, Craig Robertson said he mixed with older boys and was with an older boy at the time of the robberies.

For the 14-year-old, Ruth Gill said he had got involved because the 11-year-old was involved and may have felt protective towards him.

Last October, he was mixing with the wrong crowd. He had since cut all ties with the younger robber.