Juvenile Court Magistrate Carlisle Greaves yesterday instructed caseworkers to find a 15-year-old boy a job and make him pay $100 for stealing a $20 scooter part.

"Sometimes stealing is more expensive than the thing itself,'' Mr. Greaves told the boy, who he but into care for two years for a serious crime earlier this year.

"It says in this report you worked this summer -- where's some that money?'' he asked. "Raid your bank account.'' The boy responded that he did not save any money from the summer job and asked: "How am I to pay a fine if I'm in school?'' Mr. Greaves instructed the two male caseworkers from Oleander Cottage to secure work for the boy, adding: "Ensure that he is brought down to Magistrates' Court and pay this fine.'' The boy had pleaded guilty to stealing the scooter brace from Sports R Us on October 26.

The owner saw him put the part in his pocket and when he was confronted returned it to the man. Police were called.

The boy told Mr. Greaves: "At the time I was a little upset and I made the wrong decision.

"I got a scooter from there and it was cheap and it broke. I tried to get a replacement but they wouldn't give it to me and so I went in and took it. I wrote an apology letter.'' Mr. Greaves also questioned the boy on his social activities, asking if he had ever been a Boy Scout or Sea Cadet, saying: "You've never been in anything like that?'' Mr. Greaves brought some laughter to the adults in the room when he commented on the name change of the primary facility for juveniles convicted of crimes.

"Oh? They changed the name, its not Observatory Cottage anymore?'' he asked.

"They put a flowery name to it. So they're not observing them, they're smelling flowers.

"I know some good, old fashioned names for them (to use). Oxford and Cambridge, Howard, even Berkeley. Oh, well, they'll probably change that too.

But they say change is good.''