Teen avoids jail for knife threat over $2.50 bag of chips

A teenager who pulled a knife on a shopkeeper over a $2.50 bag of crisps has avoided jail.

The then 15-year-old, known only as NM, was this week sentenced by the Supreme Court to 100 hours of unpaid community service for the attempted robbery at Invermay IGA in Launceston on February 21 2024.

The court heard NM lived without support from his family and stole the crisps because they were hungry.

Judge Tamara Jago said the teenager had a bottle of alcohol and a steak knife hidden in his shorts when they entered the store and the owner approached after seeing them hiding the crisps.

The teen became angry and pulled out the knife while shouting, swearing and saying “I'm going to cut you up” and “I'm going to slit your throat.”

They were arrested by nearby police shortly after, who saw the teenager remove the knife from his shorts and throw it to the ground.

Judge Tamara Jago said the reports indicated NM had a “very difficult childhood” and was often left unsupervised and unsupervised, living in difficult circumstances since the age of 11, homeless and without any “real support or advice” from their family.

Jago said the teenager rarely attended school, had limited education, regularly used alcohol and cannabis from a young age and suffered a possible brain injury at 14 when he was hit in the head with an iron bar during a fight.

The court heard that around two weeks before the incident, NM had appeared in the juvenile court for dishonesty offences.

“While you were in custody, your behavior stabilized and you made positive progress,” Jago said.

The judge said she was aware of the time NM had already spent in custody and that this was “sufficient punishment”.

“The sentence I impose should be aimed at encouraging your rehabilitation,” she said.

“I am making a sentencing order under the Youth Justice Act. Without conviction, I order you to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community service.

IGA Invermay will also be compensated an “amount to be assessed”.