Girl armed robber escapes jail

Press, 9 November 1988, Page 29

Girl armed robber escapes jail

A young woman, aged 17, was under the influence of cannabis, tamgesics, valium and an “evil” man twice her age with a criminal record, when she was involved in the Edgeware Postßank armed robbery, Mr Justice Holland was told in the High Court yesterday. Because of the exceptional circumstances, his Honour said that he was not going to send Karen Marie Scott, aged 17, unemployed, to jail on a charge of aggravated robbery on August 11. She was ordered to do nine months periodic detention, was put on supervision for two years and must make reparation of $2OBO. A man, aged 33, was alleged to have masterminded the robbery, but was charged only with receiving proceeds, because at that time the police did not. have sufficient evidence to charge him with robbery. The man pleaded guilty to the receiving charge. The police statement said that a stolen car was left in Cornwall Street near the Edgeware supermarket the previous night. At 9.40 a.m. on August

11, a female associate of Scott approached the two tellers at the bank, pointed a pistol at them and demanded they fill two bags she carrying. The associate left with $25,298 in the two bags. She threw these into the stolen car in Cornwall Street and walked off. Scott drove the stolen car around the area for some time looking for her associate. When she was not able to locate her, she drove to a prearranged point in Quinns Road where she was picked up by another two associates and taken into town. She left the money with them. When interviewed by the police, Scott said that they had decided to do the robbery because they were “sick of being poor.” In all $7705 was recovered. Scott had no previous convictions, the police statement said. Mr Geoff Brodie, for Scott, said that the offence was completely out of character and was committed under the influence of an evil man with a criminal record. Last year Scott was a schoolgirl. Her problems

started when she became involved with drugs in the third form. Her conduct deteriorated steadily and there was conflict between her, her parents and school authorities. Earlier this year, Scott left Ashburton to come to Christchurch to start a new life, but she got deeper into the drug scene. Her flatmates, among them the man who organised the robbery, were using drugs. He had sexual intercourse with the girls living in the flat and later married one. Although Scott considered the man grotesque, horrible and personally unattractive, she could not escape from his evil influence and control because of naivety, gullibility and infatuation. It was common knowledge that the man had supplied the pistol — a Magnum replica gas-oper-ated slug gun. Scott had absolutely no appreciation of the seriousness of the offence she was getting involved in. The man needed the money for a drug deal and she was not to get

any of the proceeds, Mr Brodie said. His Honour: No doubt she would have got some of the drugs from the deal paid for by the proceeds of the robbery. Scott was young and impressionable and her good sense was limited by the variety of drugs she was using — cannabis, tamgesics, valium and other narcotics. Most of the proceeds were recovered by the police. The money had been buried in Victoria Park. If Scott were jailed it would damage her for the rest of her life. She was now a wiser and sadder girl, said Mr Brodie. Mr Justce Holland said that armed robbery was a grave and prevalent offence. The Courts had been adamant that in almost all cases it had to be met with a jail term, and that applied to first offenders as well. If a firearm was used, the scale started at about four years, but judges recognised that a first offender was entitled to some sympathy. The Court was conscious that to impose a

jail term on a 17-year-old might well start her on a life of crime. The Crown accepted that Scott had acted under the domination of an older man, and he was disturbed that the man had been charged only with receiving, but the police did not have sufficent evidence at the time to charge him with the more serious offence. Only two of the participants had been charged with robbery. For those who claimed that there was no harm in cannabis, the record of Scott’s unfortunate and miserable life should be displayed in public. The public had to understand that Scott’s was an exceptional case. She had acted under the influence of a man twice her age. The man had a criminal record and had organised the robbery for his own benefit. “I’m satisfied that in the public and your interest that you should not go to jail, but if you ever offend again you will be letting down everyone who has taken an interest in you and you will not get leniency again,” Mr Justice Holland said.