By Patrick Burgess A boy and girl shoplifting team were sent back to juvenile homes for one year yesterday to reinforce protective orders issued last month.

Juvenile Court Magistrate Carlisle Greaves -- who in the past has been critical of his sentencing powers -- said the move was "just a rubber stamp'' of the orders.

The boy, 13, had been sent to Observatory Cottage and the girl, 14, sent to the Brangman Home by order of the court after authorities requested they be taken into care for their own protection.

They were caught red-handed on January 24 trying to steal a motorcycle in Par-la-Ville parking lot which happened to belong to a Police officer.

A subsequent search at Hamilton Police Station revealed numerous items they had swiped from two stores that afternoon. Prosecutor Insp. Peter Giles told the Juvenile Court panel that staff at the Knick Knack Store on Reid Street reported to Police the boy entered the store around 1.30 p.m. and asked to try on a pair of jeans. He was directed to a changing room.

The staffer became suspicious after the girl entered and started a conversation ostensibly about items on the clothing racks.

The boy was confronted about the contents of a bag he was carrying but both ran away.

Later, they went to the International Sports Shop on Bermudiana Road and the boy took away a pair of goalkeeper's gloves and a pair of "Team Bermuda'' socks.

The girl got away with a shirt and a pair of pants, underpants and brassiere.

Police were alerted in both instances and the search went into high gear when a member of the public called to say two children were trying to hot-wire a Honda City express cycle in the parking lot.

When officers arrived, the ignition wires were exposed, but the girl was sticking a screwdriver into the ignition slot and attempting to start the bike. The cycle turned out to be owned by P.c. Fabian Minors.

Once in custody they admitted stealing an Aprilla cycle earlier in the day belonging to Aiesha Trott which was recovered. When Mr. Greaves challenged Insp. Giles on the legality of not setting out in a charge what was said in an offensive words charge, the girl admitted she had used the foul language anyway.

Mr. Greaves had complained about the lack of the specific offensive words in the charge: "You can't ambush people. You have to put in the particulars.

It's in the law. Let the court decide wether they are offensive words or not.'' But the girl pre-empted a technical challenge to her plea, saying: "I told one of the officers I'll punch you in your f***ing face.'' A social inquiry report was unnecessary, Mr. Greaves heard, because the pair had been taken away from their respective parents under the "care and protection'' clauses of the Children's Act of 1998. At the end of the hearing Mr. Greaves said: "I think she needs to be there with those women for one year. She -- and he -- need some pulling up.''