arrested for stealing motorcycles because his father wanted to give him some "tough love'', Magistrates' Court heard.

And his accomplice -- also 16 -- spent Thursday night at the Co-ed Facility after his grandmother flatly refused to sign a surety for his release -- saying he was "too rude''.

Cycle thieves Teekai Rawlins of Smith Avenue, Warwick and Donnielle Richardson of Westdale Lane, Southampton -- who no longer attend school -- pleaded guilty on Thursday to stealing two cycles while concerned together and with other people not before the court.

The two charges involved the thefts of a Maxi Puch worth $350 on February 1 and a Honda Scoopy worth $2,500 on January 31.

Both thefts occurred in Southampton where the teens were later caught riding one of the stolen cycles on Horseshoe Road.

They were taken to Hamilton Police Station where they admitted stealing the cycles which were later recovered in damaged condition, said prosecutor Sgt.

Phil Taylor.

Senior Magistrate William Francis said there was only one way to deal with the youths as they were barely old enough to be in the court.

He asked their guardians -- who were in court -- to stand and told Rawlins' mother and father and Richardson's grandmother that he was going to order social inquiry reports for the youths and bail them with like sureties.

But Sgt. Taylor pointed out that Rawlins' family had refused to take responsibility for him on Wednesday when he was arrested.

He said Rawlins had ended up spending the night in jail.

Rawlins' father said it was "tough love'' and he wanted his son to understand that prison was a bad place.

He stressed that it was not because he did not care about him.

When Mr. Francis asked him if the message had struck home, Rawlins nodded and said it had.

But Rawlins' mother said her son was "out of control''. He was not "a bad kid'', she continued, but "he needs counselling or something''.

"I know him better than anybody and he could walk out of here and do it all again,'' she warned.

She added she believed he needed to stop hanging around with Richardson and "take a break''.

Teenager needs `tough love' Mr. Francis said the problem was that the report would take about six weeks and Rawlins had to be minded until then.

"I need to know -- to use the vernacular -- that he's going to be under some heavy manners.'' He told Rawlins that he could be remanded in custody for those six weeks if he did not obey his parents. And he told Rawlins' parents that if they had the least bit of trouble with him to let him know immediately.

Mr. Francis said he would put Rawlins under a curfew at which point Rawlins' father piped up.

"Make it 5 p.m. -- as early as possible. No joking,'' he said.

However Mr. Francis imposed it from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and told Rawlins he had to be at his father's residence in Warwick between those times.

He then bailed him for $500 with a like surety to return on March 10 when the social inquiry report would be ready.

Richardson's grandmother spoke up and said she did not want to sign bail for her grandson who was "too rude''.

She said she had bailed him out on Wednesday -- while Rawlins was left in jail -- and he had been rude and disrespectful to her ever since.

"He needs a job or to go back to school but he doesn't want to work,'' she told the court. "I sent him to the MarketPlace yesterday to fill out a form and instead he went to the bus stop and said he was going home.'' She said her grandson was out of control and was rude to her although she had tried to care for him when his parents wouldn't.

Richardson's mother was in Fair Havens "sorting herself out'' while his father "doesn't care'', she continued.

She said she felt her grandson needed a "short, sharp shock'' so he should go to the Co-ed Facility for a while and maybe she would sign bail for him in a couple of days.

Mr. Francis remanded the youth in custody and ordered that he return for mention to court next Thursday.