Teen admits assaulting mall security

A teenage boy was sentenced to 70 hours of community service on Monday after he admitted to committing nine offences, including assaulting two Brandon mall security officers last fall.

The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to assault, disguise with intent, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, failing to attend court and comply with multiple conditions of his probation, and other charges.

The offences occurred between September 2025 and August 2026.

Provincial court heard the teen, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was part of a group of boys who got in a fight with security officers at the Shoppers Mall in Brandon on Sept. 19 around 1 p.m.

Security told police one of the boys involved had “assaulted him by striking him in the face with a closed fist,” and was wearing a “white and black tracksuit and a face mask,” said Georgia Steeves, an articling student with the Crown attorney office.

“Security also stated a second male wearing a gray tracksuit also assaulted them,” she said.

Police arrested two boys matching the description within minutes after they fled the mall area.

Later that day, a security officer provided a statement to police, saying security had asked a youth in the mall to remove a face mask he was wearing.

“The males immediately got defensive,” Steeves said, adding that they “struck two customers and then started fighting the security guards.”

One of the guards was punched up to seven times in the head and face.

The fight lasted about five minutes and ended when the second security officer was punched and the youth fled, Steeves said.

The youth, who sat quietly in the prisoner’s box on Monday, was released on an undertaking for the incident with conditions to abide by a curfew order. Court heard he breached his curfew within 24 hours and was subject to a warrant.

The youth was arrested again on Sept. 26 when police saw him wearing a ski mask while holding a can of bear spray as he yelled at three other youth, Steeves said.

Brandon police had been called to a residential area in the 1500 block of Third Street for a report of 15 to 20 teenagers fighting. When officers got to the scene, they saw the youth and another boy standing across from two boys and a girl.

Police told the teens to lie on the ground as they approached and handcuffed the youth who was in possession of bear spray, Steeves said.

The two boys and girl told police they were walking in the neighbourhood when they were confronted by the two boys who said they had a past issue with one of them.

The youth was released on new conditions the following day to abide by his curfew, not drink or possess alcohol, use or possess illicit drugs, or possess a balaclava or ski mask, Steeves said.

Between October and June, police completed a curfew check on the youth, but there was no response at his address. The youth also missed a court date in January.

The youth’s latest offences occurred on Aug. 15 when he went to the Brandon Police Service around 2 a.m. and caused a disturbance by banging on the door while shouting he had a warrant, Steeves said.

Police said the youth smelled of alcohol and charged him with breaching his curfew and drinking alcohol when he had an order not to. Police also found he had a blue balaclava in his hoodie pocket — another condition breach.

“Having no record and accruing this many charges in a short amount of time is concerning,” Steeves said.

Defence lawyer Jennifer Janssens said the teen admitted he got involved with a “really bad crowd” and that he “went along” with some of the poor choices his peers were making at the time.

“He tells me that since September, despite the breaches, things have significantly improved in the sense that he’s staying away from those peers, and that he wants to return to school in a few weeks,” she said.

The youth is entering Grade 10 and is interested in welding and construction.

Janssens said the youth’s mother and younger siblings were evicted late last year and were living in hotel rooms for short periods. The youth ultimately moved in with his father in Thompson, which resulted in breaching his probation order.

“He did, ultimately, when he returned to Brandon, deal with the warrant, and it was his intention to deal with all of the charges,” she said.

The defence said police were aware the family had been evicted and continued to do curfew checks at the vacant home because they didn’t know where the youth was living.

Judge Patrick Sullivan accepted a joint sentencing recommendation by the Crown and defence of community service, two years of supervised probation and conditions to attend counselling, not to possess any weapons and not to contact any of the complainants.

Sullivan described the mall assault as “foolishness based in part upon immaturity” and encouraged him to befriend people who have a positive influence on his life.

“It’s always upsetting, I think, for the court to see a youth in custody who’s spent some time in jail,” he said, noting how many of Monday’s court appearances involved people whose criminal record began as a youth.

“I hope you recognize as well that if you don’t begin to change now, this is a glimpse of what your future may look like,” Sullivan said.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com