Boys sentenced after 20 animals die in London college break-in

After twenty animals were killed at a college in west London following a break in, two children have been given a years referral order.

This happened in February at Capel Manor College in Gunnersbury Park and the parents of the 11 and 12 year olds have been told they'll also have to pay £200 each.

However during sentencing Magistrate Lynn Green told the boys: "This is your crime, this is your punishment, not your parents'.

"You must do something to pay them back... whatever they ask you to do."

The youngsters, had previously admitted causing £10,000 of criminal damage to property and unnecessary suffering to animals after rabbits, snakes and birds.

In the 30-minute hearing, Ms Green gave both boys a community sentence and told them they had only avoided time in prison because of their age and the fact they were not persistent offenders.

In her sentencing remarks, she said: "It's horrific what you've done, absolutely horrific."

Referring to the CCTV footage of the incident, Ms Green said: "We didn't want to see the video, we can't face it."

She added: "It is well you are not adults because you would have faced a significant time in custody."

A break-in had been reported at Capel Manor College in Gunnersbury Park on February 25, during which staff said animals had been killed and enclosures damaged.

The boys also stole various animals from the environmental college, including ferrets, guinea pigs and three snakes, the court previously heard.

Police had found three children in a changing room at Gunnersbury Park sports centre, playing with a snake.

A barn owl called Shiraz escaped, but has since been recovered at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport and is being cared for at the college's Enfield campus.

As part of the referral order, both boys must attend regular meetings with their parents and youth offending teams for 12 months, the maximum term for this type of order.

During mitigation, Harriet Palfreman, defending the 12-year-old boy, said her client "understands the gravity of the offences committed" and that he is "susceptible to impulsivity".

Dafne Moran Toha, defence lawyer for the 11-year-old, said both boys "dispute voluntarily killing the animals" and that what they had wanted to do was "take the animals out of their cages and play with them".

The pair are "extremely remorseful for their actions", she added.

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