Teen told to join army
A MAGISTRATE told a teen who stole two bottles of whisky to follow his plan to join the army because he was clearly screaming out for discipline.
Ashley Gibson, 17, of Yorkeys Knob, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft after stealing a 1.75-litre bottle of Jack Daniels from the Yorkeys Knob bottleshop on June 24, then returning the next day and taking another bottle of the same size.
Police prosecutor Samantha Montague said Gibson was seen running towards the beach, swigging from the bottle before dropping it, causing it to smash. The second bottle was retrieved unopened.
Defence solicitor Andrew Denison said his client had applied to join the army and was working on addressing the alcohol problems behind his offending in June.
Magistrate Joe Pinder said he was going to take "a big leap of faith" and not record a conviction because any record of dishonesty would jeapardise his chance of being accepted in the army.
Gibson was fined $300 for the theft charges and $400 for breaching his probation order but was not required to pay restitution for the stolen alcohol.
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