Accused death-crash teenager 'risk to the public', judge says

A 16-year-old boy allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen Mercedes car that smashed into an oncoming vehicle, killing two of his passengers and seriously injuring the other driver, was yesterday denied bail.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared in the North Shore District Court on stealing, burglary and unlawful taking charges.

He has yet to be charged with offences stemming from the October 3 smash at Dome Valley, 75km north of Auckland.

He has been in custody since the accident, but yesterday applied to be bailed to his sister's home on a 24-hour curfew.

He is being held at Youth Justice North, a Child, Youth and Family facility in south Auckland.

His lawyer, Geoff Anderson, told Judge Edward Ryan the boy had been going through "a terrible process of grieving" since the accident, and there had been no objection to his release at an earlier family group conference.

But Judge Ryan said the youth was too much of a risk to the public.

That prompted the youth to make his own bail application, saying: "Can you just give me one more chance?"

Judge Ryan was not buying it, telling the boy: "Behaving the way you have, you can't expect anyone to have any trust or faith in you."