A homeless teenager spent his 17th birthday in jail and remained there while probation officers arranged to have his social inquiry report typed up, it emerged this week.

Lorenzo Robinson pleaded guilty on March 3 in Magistrates' Court to trying to rob two male visitors from New Jersey at knife point on February 26 at Gate's Fort in St. George's.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis ordered a social inquiry report on Robinson and adjourned the case until March 31. He was remanded him in custody at the Co-ed Facility in St. George's.

When Robinson appeared at the end of the month it was revealed that the report was ready but needed to be typed up so he was sent back to jail.

And when he reappeared on Monday, probation officer Alfred Maybury said the report was still not ready and asked for an adjournment to tomorrow.

The request prompted a peppery response from Police prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor.

He said: "At the last mention we were informed that the report was not typed and it was promised for today.'' Sgt. Taylor said Robinson was locked up 23 hours a day while on remand and should have been treated as a priority because of his age.

He noted that he sounded like a defence counsel but pointed out that if Robinson had been represented by a lawyer and the Police were late with paperwork then they would have been "hauled over the coals''.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis said he understood probation services were short of staff.

Mr. Maybury said his department was not as fortunate as the Police Service which had ample staff to handle clerical duties.

However Sgt. Taylor stressed that he was not trying to put the blame on probation services.

Mr. Francis said he was used to social inquiry reports taking this long.

But Sgt. Taylor said that while he appreciated that, a promise was made to have the report ready.

Mr. Francis sa id Robinson was a priority because he was on remand but added: "If I get this report by Thursday I will not be too distressed.'' Robinson chimed in: "I committed the crimes and I am sure that these consequences are what I have to do.'' The court heard when Robinson first appeared that he was staying with a family because his mother and grandmother found him uncontrollable. It was also noted that he had left Berkeley Institute when he was 15-years-old.

However they left the Island for three months on February 18 and he could not stay in their home. He was living in the pump room of the family's house and had no means of supporting himself at the time of his arrest.