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A 17-year-old Grand Falls teenager was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation when he appeared in Youth Court on March 18 after pleading guilty on Feb. 26 to two charges of assaulting another teenager on Nov. 19 at the PTA High School and with taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent on Dec. 21 in Grand Falls.

"On Nov. 19, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the assaulted teenager's parents made a complaint to police that their son had been assaulted while at school," stated Crown prosecutor Charles Couturier. "The accused had taken a lighter and put their son's hair on fire. Back in class, he then struck the youth and threw him to the floor and proceeded to kick him. The accused was suspended from school."

On Dec. 21, police received a call from Roch Ringuette who said his 1997 Ford Escort had been taken without his consent.

"About three quarters of an hour later, police intercepted the vehicle, with the accused at the wheel," Couturier told the court. "Both he and his passenger were arrested. The vehicle had not been damaged."

"He lives in foster care and has anger and dependency problems. He does not have any criminal priors. It was a case of school bullying," he added.

"He is back on the right path and has acquired a degree of maturity," stated Legal Aid defence lawyer Louis Picard. "He has registered in a 21-day detox program. He realizes that he acted badly and he regrets his actions."

During his supervised probation period, the youth must keep the peace, be of good behaviour, participate in a mental health counselling program as well as anger management and drug dependency programs. He must also attend school and obey all school rules.

Judge George Perusse also ordered the youth to abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages and toxic substances except for prescribed medication.