Being the "bag man" in six armed robberies should land a Calgary youth with no criminal past the maximum young offender sentence, a prosecutor said Monday.
Crown lawyer Matthew Hinshaw said the teen took part in a string of heists which left his victims traumatized.
Despite his lack of a criminal record, the prosecutor suggested Justice Arthur Lutz should hand him the maximum youth term of three years, two in custody, and one under community supervision.
Hinshaw - who earlier indicated he would seek an adult sentence, before withdrawing that application - said reports on the teen showed a high likelihood he'll reoffend.
The admitted convict, who can't be named even though he is now 18, pleaded guilty to six robberies and one attempted robbery.
He took part in a string of heists with an adult friend and two other adults who played roles in some of the robberies between last Aug. 30, and Sept. 9.
In the first, the teen and two accomplices entered a Douglasdale Blvd. S.E. Domino's Pizza wearing black ski masks and dark clothing shortly before 11 p.m.
The youth stood at the front of the store with Bradley Tonita, while ringleader Neil Robert Kehler pointed a single barrel shotgun at the clerk.
The group escaped into a nearby van which had its licence plate covered.
Two nights later they robbed a Shawville Rd. S.W. Super 8 and returned to the same motel on Sept. 6, only to leave after finding no one at the front desk.
A security guard watching video in a monitoring room saw the Kehler and the youth on surveillance cameras, but only later realized he wasn't watching footage of the earlier heist.
The pair were arrested following a Pizza Hut robbery on Sept. 9, while their accomplices were later nabbed by police.
Hinshaw said Tonita was sentenced to four years, Kehler received five, and getaway driver Matthew Brown was handed a 4 1/2-year term.
Defence counsel Jim Conway did not oppose a three-year term, but suggested Lutz could make his client serve part of it on probation.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, custodial sentences must consist of two-thirds detention and one-third supervision.
