Jailed youth symptomatic, says judge

Press, 26 February 1986, Page 6

Jailed youth symptomatic, says judge

PA Wellington Jerome Shaun Chase, aged 18, was symptomatic of Maori youth who came to the city endeavouring to live there on the unemployment benefit and paying for hire-purchase and fines, a High Court judge has said. In the High Court at Wellington, Mr Justice Heron jailed Chase for two years for aggravated robbery.

His Honour said that in January Chase entered the T.A.B. at Riddiford Street, Newtown, having with him rubber gloves, a mask, an air pistol and other materials that clearly were to be used for a planned robbery. “You held the teller up by threats initially and later presented the firearm to her,” his Honour said. “The teller managed

to escape. There could be no doubt in the teller’s mind that this was a serious armed robbery.” ' .

His Honour said the probation service had suggested that Chase ’be placed in community care and had submitted a programme which could be undertaken. : T „• , . He said it was difficult to distinguish the offence from the various armed robberies the Court had had to deal with over the years and which were the subject of clear sentencing directions from the Court of Appeal. ~ 1 “I am going to have regard to what your coun- : sei has said as to your personal circumstances, at ■ the time and the events that led up to your engaging in this robbery,” he said. “But they can only be given a limited amount of weight.”