WHEN THREE HOLY Trinity High School fifth formers were told they would not be joining their fellow classmates in the graduating class this year, they allegedly went on a vengeful campaign to destroy the school, damaging more than $230,000 worth of school facilities, including bulbs and desks. They even slashed the tyres of a teacher's car, the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court heard.
The three male students appeared before the court on Friday where one pleaded guilty to charges of malicious destruction of property. The other two claimed innocence.
According to reports from the Half-Way Tree police, after a school assembly with the fifth-formers on Tuesday, May 18, shortly after 11 o'clock that morning, the accused students decided to get back at the administration for not being allowed to graduate.
40 chairs
One was said to have removed a drawer from a teacher's desk and used it to smash a florescent light bulb. They then ripped through 40 combination school chairs valued at $180,000, and slashed tyres valued at $10,590, of a teacher's automobile. They totalled two desks valued at $20,000, and a bookshelf valued at $16,000. Students at the school told the police that the accused boys totalled several pieces of furniture and fixtures in all four grade 11 classrooms.
The young man who pleaded guilty, is expected to take with him $79,500 or one-third of the total cost of damage, to court on June 23. The other accused boys will face trial on that day.
Resident Magistrate Martin Gayle ruled that a social enquiry be conducted on the accused boy who confessed to his destructive behaviour. He expressed disdain at the students' wanton disrespect for the educational system.
He cautioned the parents of the boys as to the severity of the charges.
