Children's Court hears former Albury teenager told victim he'd slit her throat

Magistrate Chris Halburd said much of the 18-year-old's criminal behaviour was caused by this illicit drug use.

"Those other matters I'm reading" such as his depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder syndrome and his learning disabilities were not, he said.

These were things he could overcome if he lived a decent, drug-free life.

"He just keeps smoking cannabis," Mr Halburd told defence lawyer Paul Keane, on the youth's sentencing in Albury Children's Court.

"If he's just going to keep using, he might as well go into custody."

Mr Halburd said that would be a terrible outcome for the youth's family.

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"They don't want you to go into custody, but they also want to feel safe in their own home," he said.

"It's just absolutely appalling behaviour.

"You're supposed to look after her, not kill her."

The youth avoided a control order though when he appeared for sentencing, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of intimidation, destroy or damage property, contravention of an apprehended violence order and threaten to destroy or damage another person's property.

Instead, Mr Halburd sentenced the teenager to 12 months' probation, with a condition that he be supervised by Community Offender Services at Griffith, as he had since moved to Leeton.

The court was told the youth, then 17, was living with his sister, then 19, and their mother and stepfather in Kurrajong Crescent, West Albury, when he committed the offences on December 15.

His sister was asleep at 4.50am, but woke up as he grabbed her mobile phone from a bedside table.

"I'm going to slit your throat so that you're not here anymore," he said.

"I'm going to kill you."

Soon after, he smashed her phone on concrete paving outside and then grabbed a can of fuel, threatening to torch his sister's car.

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