The Court: Broadmeadows Children’s Court
The Lawyer: Mario Saoud
The Charges:
The Allegations:
The client was a 16-year-old who had allegedly stolen a motor vehicle parked in the driveway of the home of the owner. The victim reported the car missing after he noticed that it was no longer parked in the driveway. Police later located the vehicle several suburbs away.
Police conducted forensic testing on the vehicle and found our client’s fingerprints inside the car. Our client was subsequently arrested and charged with the theft of the motor vehicle and was required to appear in court.
Upon reviewing the brief, it became evident that the prosecution had a strong case as they had forensic evidence linking our client to the vehicle. There was also CCTV footage, which clearly showed our client entering the motor vehicle and driving the car. Additionally, the client made admissions to the police regarding the theft of the motor vehicle.
At Court:
At court, a plea of guilty was entered to one charge of theft of a motor vehicle. The matter was shortly thereafter adjourned for our client to engage with Youth Justice.
At the next court hearing, Youth Justice filed a progress report with the court along with their sentencing recommendations. Given that the client engaged well with Youth Justice and followed their recommendations, the progress report was quite positive.
The Outcome:
The client had complied with the requirements of Youth Justice and displayed encouraging signs of rehabilitation. Our solicitor, therefore, made submissions to the Magistrate that a good behaviour bond was the appropriate sentence. The Magistrate did not record a conviction against the client’s name.
