A teenager with learning difficulties was found guilty of causing damage of £50,000 and stealing from a Buckfastleigh coach firm.

The 17-year old, from Plymouth, referred to in court as Boy 1, admitted a separate charge of burglary at the Buckfastleigh Business Centre in Chapel Street.

His co-accused, a boy of 16 from Plympton, called Boy 2, was cleared of three identical offences, all of which took place on July 17.

Earlier, South Devon Youth Court at Newton Abbot saw video footage which showed the two entering the business centre. The street door was forced and an internal door to the offices of Young Devon was smashed. Camcorders and computer equipment were stolen.

Announcing their verdict on Thursday last week, magistrates said they accepted that Boy 2 had not taken an active part in the burglary.

'You believed that Boy 1 had the right to be in the Young Devon business centre in order to collect his own property as he worked there and knew the door code,' said Gwyn Hughes, chairman of the bench.

Afterwards the two went to an address in the town, with a suitcase containing the stolen equipment.

A 17-year-old girl living at the address was said to be a 'strong and reliable witness'.

She gave evidence that she and her boyfriend went with the two to inspect the goods under the A38 flyover. The case was hidden in some bushes. After the two boys went off, they called the police who recovered the goods.

The defendants walked the short distance to Wood Brothers coach compound at Whitecleaves Quarry. Boy 2 gave evidence that he saw Boy 1 squeeze through a gap in the fence but was un -able to follow because of his back problems. Minutes later he heard the sound of smashing glass.

Mrs Hughes said: 'We believe that Boy 1 alone caused the damage to the coaches and stole the hammers and CD fascia.'

She said that Boy 2 was unfamiliar with Buckfastleigh and had attended the same school for special needs as Boy 1.

The magistrates ruled that life hammers – standard safety equipment – and a CD fascia found by police in Boy 1's bedroom belonged to Wood Brothers.

Evidence given by company director Robert Wood was said to be strong.

'He identified three hammers, two of which he made and one which he modified,' Mrs Hughes said.

The two also admitted breaking-in to Palstone Park recreation ground in South Brent the following day and stealing chocolate, a camcorder worth £800 and causing £400 of damage to a window.

Boy 2 will be sentenced for the South Brent burglary at Plymouth on December 31, when a charge of breach of an asbo is considered.

Magistrates there will be asked to take into account his mental health issues and that he appears to be 'easily led into crime'.

Boy 1 had an existing supervision order increased from nine months to two years. His curfew will be extended from three to five months.

Mrs Hughes said: 'We did feel you need quite a lot of help. It will give you time to take up that help.

'We are pleased to see you are going to college and enjoying that course. You make sure you finish that, then you can get a job at the end of it. It is up to you to stop doing stupid things and make something of your life.'