A teen who broke into a senior’s home and poured maple syrup on her will serve time in an open custody facility.

On Tuesday, a judge sentenced the 16-year-old young offender to five months in open custody, along with two years of probation.

"Ms. Knox, who was 97 years old, was helpless and afraid," said Justice John Bliss. "Your behaviour culminated cruelly and pointlessly, and quite frankly disgracefully."

Open custody is similar to a halfway house. The facilities are typically in the community where the offense happened and are run out of small residences.

The teen will be under constant surveillance by staff and won’t be permitted to leave unless approved. There will also be limited visitation for family.

"Open custody is still custody, it's still jail,” says defence lawyer Angela McLeod. ”It's a locked facility. If they leave or attempt to leave, the alarm would go off and they would be charged with escape lawful custody."

The court heard the teen and his co-accused broke into Jean Knox’s Barrie home shortly before 5 a.m. on Dec. 28. The 98-year-old pretended to be asleep while they vandalized her home.

Knox, who is confined to a wheelchair and nearly deaf, also had maple syrup poured on her.

The Crown was pushing for nine to 12 months in jail, citing that the teen has a history of aggressive behaviour and hasn’t responded well to therapy.

The teen’s co-accused will appear in court on May 23.