WESTLOCK – A youth who was trying to find the key to the family’s gun safe and went after his mother with a hammer, has been sentenced to probation for theft of a vehicle and mischief.
The youth, who can’t be identified due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in Westlock Court of Justice by CCTV from the Edmonton youth remand centre on Feb. 26.
During the sentencing hearing, Justice J. Stuffco, told the parents, after learning that the youth spends most of his time playing video games, “Encourage him to be a little more active, even if it’s just walks, any kind of activity.”
He said the activity and fresh air will help with endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
He then told the youth, who has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, “When you feel low, tell people.”
Court heard that on Jan. 9, the youth used a hammer to cause damage to the mother’s bedroom and bathroom. He then chased her with the hammer, forcing her to barricade herself in a room.
Westlock RCMP arrived and arrested the youth under the Mental Health Act and took him to Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton for evaluation.
On Feb. 11, the RCMP were called to the family’s home again. The mother told officers that the youth was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
In that incident, court heard that the youth was threatening to destroy office equipment in the home, and got a lighter and threatened to burn the house down. He grabbed a knife and waved it around and then started cutting his own throat. He also grabbed a bow and arrow and threatened to use it against his mother. The mother got the bow and arrow away from her son so he then tried finding the key to the gun safe in the home.
He was angry that the police were called so he ran outside and started his parent’s truck. When he put it in drive, the mother intervened and fought to get the keys out of the truck. She was hit by the truck door in the altercation but she got the keys away. So the boy then searched for the spare set of keys. He found them and headed to a rural area in Westlock County where he got stuck in a ditch. RCMP arrested him again under the Mental Health Act and took him to the hospital in Edmonton again.
The next day, when the parents picked him up from the hospital, the youth grabbed a multi tool and used it to damage the inside of the vehicle.
He was arrested and held in custody in the youth remand centre until his sentencing hearing on Feb. 26.
In addition to the nine months of probation, he was ordered to undergo mental health treatment, banned from having any weapons and barred from driving without written permission.
“It’s a rehabilitative sentence,” said Crown prosecutor Eric Mosley in the joint submission.
Defence told the court the youth struggles with anxiety and has since started medication.
