The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced five high school dropouts to between six and seven years behind bars for the armed theft of a motorbike.

Presiding Judge Kim Rathnarin said the teenagers stole the bike after chasing its 27-year-old owner from the capital’s Koh Pich, or Diamond Island, to Chak Angre commune at around 1am on November 19.

They were arrested five days later after the owner reported seeing the bike up for sale at a Phnom Penh shop.

Rathnarin yesterday found the group guilty of “stealing the bike with aggravated circumstances, and possession or transport of weapons and firearms without permission”.

He sentenced three of the youths, Nuon Prasidh, 18, Um Sovanarith, 17, and Lim Ty, 17, to seven years’ imprisonment, and the two others, Eng Phearun, 17, and Kol Thearith, 17, to six years behind bars.

“They were ordered to jointly pay $2,300 to the motorbike owner, who is the victim and plaintiff,” Rathnarin said.

The defence lawyer could not be reached for comment yesterday.