Boy, 14, told to pay compensation from pocket money after £50,000 iPhone robbery

A 14-year-old boy has been ordered to pay compensation from his pocket money to two security guards who were “overwhelmed” by him and his gang in a “terrifying” masked raid at a busy Apple store.

One of the guards backed off when he was threatened with a “shank” after the gang of five males entered the store in Brent Cross on January 5 and stripped 50 iPhones worth £49,550 from the displays, Croydon Youth Court in south London heard.

District Judge Sushil Kumar told the boy, who was not the gang leader or the robber who made the stabbing threat, that he had taken part in “very serious and planned offending” which, had he been an adult, could have resulted in “a number of years” in jail.

The teenager, who cannot be named, had previously pleaded guilty to robbery.

He was given a nine-month referral order and told to pay £100 compensation to each of the security guards within a year.

The boy’s mother, who was sitting next to him in court, said his income was his pocket money.

The judge told him: “Bearing in mind your pocket money, I’m satisfied that compensation of £100 each, £200 in total would be appropriate.”

He ruled that compensation should be paid to the security guards who were “faced with serious robbery”, saying the payment would act as an additional punishment for the teenager but “it is something that is manageable”.

“Over the course of the year you can budget for it and pay compensation for these two persons.”

The court heard the teenager pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and understands the raid “must have been a terrifying and scary thing” for the customers and innocent bystanders who witnessed it, which included a young family with children.

The judge also told the boy: “It was a very serious and planned offending.

“Two young people, and it is not suggested that it was you, entered earlier in the day to conduct a reconnaissance of the store.

“Thereafter a number of young males entered the store en masse to conduct the robbery.

“This was a robbery of a busy store in a busy shopping centre and there were very serious threats of violence made.

“It is not suggested that you made these threats.

“It is clear to see that security was overwhelmed by sheer fear and the number of people attempting to get in and commit the robbery.”

Members of the public saw the gang fleeing out of the door, including “a young family with young children who were holding their hands and they were no doubt frozen in fear as all this took place”, the judge said.

The robbery took place at about 2.11pm and the security guards were immediately alerted that something was wrong after the group, who were masked and wearing black, entered the store.

Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said: “They looked suspicious. Security told them they could not stay while they were wearing masks.

“They pushed the guard and intimated they had knives.

“One said ‘I will bring it out’ and intimated he would push it towards the security guards.”

They grabbed the telephones, damaging the store demonstration equipment as the guard backed away.

Some seven iPhones and a black balaclava were recovered from the 14-year-old and all of the stolen items were found.

The teenager was described as the “youngest member” of the gang and details of mitigating factors relating to his background were not given in court.

Referring to his positive pre-sentence reports, the judge warned the boy: “You have two options – you can continue to make good on the positive things I have read about you.

“I believe that you are able to do that.

“If you continue as you have started, with criminality, that can only get more and more serious.”

He added: “Whilst this has been a very serious offence you have been sentenced for, I hope you take advantage of the help that has been given to you.”