Koala thieves gets teen eight years

A teenager who helped steal two koalas from a US zoo has been jailed for eight years.

The 16-year-old admitted breaking into San Francisco Zoo with a friend to steal the koalas for Christmas gifts for their girlfriends.

One animal had been beaten by the teenagers and both suffered serious injury.

The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the theft of the koalas and an unrelated weapons possession charge.

A court ruling banned the naming of the defendants and the disclosure of any further details.

Zoo keepers told the California court that both koalas suffered "grave injuries and lasting trauma" at the hands of the teenagers.