Teens to make amends for fires

A Geraldine teenager who slashed more than 90 car tyres and intentionally lit fires around Timaru will pay $14,302 to his victims from a fund meant for his university education.

Troy Evan Fattorini, 19, of Geraldine and Andrew Hamish Doggett-Mehrtens, 17, of Timaru, appeared for sentence before Judge Brian Callaghan in the Timaru District Court yesterday.

Fattorini faced 49 charges of intentional damage and two of burglary while Doggett-Mehrtens faced 37 of intentional damage and two of burglary.

On the night of August 25, the pair, armed with knives and lighters, went to Timaru Boys' High School and set a rubbish bin on fire. They then slashed several car tyres, entered a building on Anzac Square and set alight a bin at Pak 'n Save.

Six days later Fattorini went out alone and set fire to seven wheelie bins.

The following night the two went out together again, setting alight several tussocks, entering an unlocked garage and setting fire to a quantity of compressed cardboard at Pak 'n Save.

In the early hours of September 3, Fattorini again went out alone setting a shrub and trailer on fire.

Later that same night he accompanied a youth associate in setting fire to the New World supermarket structure.

Counsel Charlotte Clifford said Fattorini was an intelligent individual but struggled socially and was easily influenced.

Until he was apprehended by police, she said he did not realise the seriousness of what he had done.

When he was interviewed about one of the offences, he disclosed all his actions, and accompanied police in a drive around town pointing out where and what he had done.

Mrs Clifford said Fattorini had written 15 apology letters and said sorry directly to the victims at a restorative justice meeting.

He will pay the reparation from a trust fund which was intended for his tertiary study and plans to undertake a fire safety course.

Counsel Teresa Lawrence said Doggett-Mehrtens was involved in just two of the four nights of offending and was in the company of an older and more knowledgeable person.

She said Doggett-Mehrtens was not aware of the consequences at the time, and now that he was, he was remorseful and had attended the restorative justice meeting so that he could face the victims and say sorry.

Judge Callaghan said both offenders were young and first offenders, and deserved credit for admitting their actions at the earliest opportunity, attending the restorative justice and being willing to pay the sizeable amounts of reparation.

He said their "appalling behaviour" had greatly affected innocent people who woke to find their cars disabled.

Judge Callaghan said it was important for the community to know about Fattorini's mental health history and that Doggett-Mehrtens had a dysfunctional family upbringing.

The sentences were varied to meet the needs that reports had identified.

Fattorini was sentenced to six months' community detention, 100 hours' community work, 18 months' intensive supervision and ordered to pay his share of $14,302. Doggett-Mehrtens was sentenced to five months' community detention, 150 hours' community work and ordered to pay $7865.

- © Fairfax NZ News