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A WODONGA youth, 14, limped into Albury Children’s Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to his involvement in the thefts of a bag and purse at the Lavington shopping centre.
He had claimed to be an accomplice on November 11 when an associate snatched the purse a woman was carrying.
But magistrate Megan Greenwood was told it was the youth who snatched a grandmother’s bag as she sat on a seat with two granddaughters near Big W in Centro.
It was about 9am and the woman’s husband had gone shopping when she saw a flash go past her.
The youth who grabbed her bag was wearing a jumper around his neck and a young Aboriginal accomplice was running behind him.
The grandmother shouted: “He’s taken my bag, stop him.”
She began to chase him, but realised her granddaughters were on the bench seat and seemed quite upset.
Members of the public started to chase them and the grandmother was handed back her bag when she walked out to Griffith Road.
The would-be thief was hit by the front bonnet of a car and then fell forward into a parked truck landing on the road which caused him to drop the bag.
Security staff and police were notified of the theft and closed circuit footage revealed the identity of the two thieves.
The youth handed himself in at the Albury police station.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from a person and made no application for bail.
Ms Greenwood was told the youth had only recently been released from the Riverina Juvenile Detention Centre.
He has been living with his parents in Wodonga, but has been going out late at night.
Ms Greenwood ordered a pre-sentence report on the youth and adjourned his sentencing until December 18.
The youth has an extensive list of prior offending despite his age.
Magistrate Tony Murray was told last year the youth keeps travelling to Albury in contravention of bail conditions because he regarded his home city as “boring”.
He failed to heed a warning from Mr Murray on November 19 saying any further breaches would see him placed on remand.
The youth took a punt, got caught by police and was remanded in custody.
The youth had found out the hard way custody was not a pleasant place.