Teen preyed on weak

A 15-year-old who took part in a vicious attack on three vulnerable victims in Blenheim was sentenced to home detention in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.

Riki James Barratt appeared before Judge Kevin Phillips for sentencing on two charges of aggravated robbery and one of injuring with intent in Blenheim on July 10.

The court was told Barratt was part of a group of six, of two adults and four youths, who attacked three men, two of whom were intellectually impaired and the other physically disabled.

A person of Barratt's age is usually dealt with in the Youth Court, but the seriousness of the offending led a judge to rule that Barratt should be sentenced in the district court.

Barratt was sentenced to eight months home detention with his Southland family, but it came with a stern warning from the judge.

"Right above your head is a sword. You breach the terms of home detention and it comes down."

The offending began when the group demanded money and cigarettes from the victims. When they refused, the group set about kicking and punching a man in a mobility scooter, the judge said.

When the younger of the two victims, who had run to alert the police, returned, he was also attacked and thrown into the nearby river, he said.

Barratt, with some of his younger companions, then went into the town centre and confronted another intellectually impaired man, asked him for cigarettes and asked if he wanted "to smoke weed with them", he said.

They led him back to the same bridge and kicked and stomped on him, took his jacket, cash and cellphone. When the man tried to resist, he was attacked again and knocked unconscious, Judge Phillips said.

- The Marlborough Express

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Jake   #1   12:14 pm Mar 15 2010

Thats horrible!

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