Primark kidnap: Girls to be sentenced at crown court

Two teenagers will be sentenced at crown court after previously admitting the kidnap of a toddler from a store in Newcastle city centre.

The teenage girls appeared at North Tyneside youth court on Monday afternoon where District Judge Roger Elsey told the hearing that sentencing powers available to him were 'insufficient'. He said that in his judgement, the amount of intensive social work required to reduce the girls' risk of reoffending, is likely to exceed 12 months.

At an earlier court appearance, the teenagers, who are aged 13 and 14, had admitted kidnapping a two year old from Primark on Northumberland Street. In addition, they each admitted two charges of shoplifting dummies, baby milk and a bottle. Their identities cannot be revealed because of their ages.

Following the kidnap in April, the teenagers and the toddler were found an hour and a half later at a park in the Gosforth area of the city.

The girls are expected to be sentenced at crown court in the week beginning the 8th August.

Judge Elsey remanded them into the care of the local authority and imposed a 9pm to 7am curfew.