A NORTH East boy alleged to have committed an armed robbery of a Wangaratta store while on six counts of bail has been released. A Children’s Court heard police were called to Wangaratta Tobacconists on Ford Street earlier this week after the store owner reported an alleged armed robbery. The court heard the 14-year-old allegedly entered the store and pulled out a knife from a sieve and demanded money and goods. The store owner took photos of the boy as he allegedly held the knife, which was shown to police along with CCTV footage upon their arrival. A police prosecutor said the boy was “easily identified” around 30 minutes after the alleged incident and he was taken into custody overnight. The prosecutor said the teen was on six counts of bail which included charges of theft, assault and weapon possession and his alleged offending was beginning to “escalate”. The court also heard the boy allegedly made an explosive device out of a deodorant can and a sparkler, making a “grenade-like” ignition in a public area in recent weeks. Defence counsel for the boy said he was found suitable for bail support if released and had vulnerabilities in custody given his youth. The court heard the mother of the boy said she had “great difficulty” controlling her son and he regularly “goes and does what he pleases”. The boy was granted release on strict conditions, which included a curfew, strict living arrangements and a ban from possessing knives. The police prosecutor said the boy would be regularly checked and monitored before his next appearance in court, where police had applied to revoke bail.
