A teenager who broke into his friend’s flat and stole her savings has promised to pay her back.
Jason Smith pleaded guilty to burglary at a hearing at Kirklees Youth Court last week.
The matter was adjourned for report and today he can be named for the first time after turning 18 yesterday.
The Huddersfield court heard that Smith lives at the same Batley complex as his victim.
On June 25 he was caught on CCTV walking around the outside of the Field Lane flats which offer supported living for young people.
The teenager paused for a car to pass before climbing into his friend’s flat via an open ground floor window.
His friend was out at the time and returned home at just after midnight to find that Smith had taken £10 from her money jar.
Police arrested the teenager and he confessed to the burglary.
He also admitted to possession of cannabis after officers found a plant inside his wardrobe together with a heater and lamp.
Magistrates heard that he had planned to grow it from a seedling given to him by a friend for his own personal use.
Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, said: “I’ve explained to him that, had he been an adult, he could have found himself at crown court.
“He seems to have taken that on board and seems determined that he’s not going to trouble the courts again.”
Smith showed magistrates the £10 he planned to pay back to his friend together with an extra £10 he said he already owed her.
They made a reparation order, including activities to help him understand the impact of his offending on others, which must be completed within three months.
Smith has to pay £85 costs and his cannabis will be forfeited and destroyed.
