10:00pm Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Andrew Bellard
A 13-year-old boy stole more than £6,000 worth of jewellery from his grandmother and passed it on to friends who sold it to a Blackburn jeweller.
Blackburn magistrates heard the gold bangles and chains had been of sentimental value but had been melted down by the time the theft was discovered.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted two charges of theft and asked for five similar offences to be taken into consideration.
He was made subject to a referral order for nine months with £3,000 compensation to pay.
A 15-year-old admitted arranging to receive stolen goods.
He was made subject to a six month referral order and ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.
Zainul Abedin Patel, 18, of Inkerman Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to the same two receiving charges and another three similar offences involving two bangles worth £1,000, three bangles worth £1,500 and two bangles worth £1,000.
He was made subject to a 24 hour attendance centre order and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.
Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said the boys said the money they had made had been spent at the cinema and in amusement arcades.
Clare Knight, defending, said the 13-year-old realised he had done wrong and had been trying to rebuild the trust of his grandmother.
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