A 15-year-old boy has been granted bail over a robbery ahead of his sentencing. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
A staff member at a Civic liquor store was working when a large group of youths entered his store, stole alcohol and attacked him, including shattering a bottle over his head.
One of the boys involved, a 15-year-old who pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, had his bail continued by the ACT Children’s Court on Thursday (5 January) despite breaching it numerous times.
It was about 6:20 pm on 8 July 2022 when this boy went into the Beer Wine Spirits (BWS) store on West Row along with about seven other juveniles, court documents say.
He became verbally abusive when the staff member asked the group for proof of their ages and were asked to leave.
At that time, three of the group were allegedly stealing bottles of whisky and wine. When the staff member tried to stop one, the 15-year-old grabbed him and pushed him backwards.
Another boy then came up behind him and hit him over the back of the head with a 700ml bottle of Rosé D’adimant, causing him to bleed.
The 15-year-old punched the staff member in the face then the boy with the bottle smashed it over their victim’s head again, knocking him to the ground and causing the bottle to shatter. The broken glass also managed to cut the staff member’s wrist.
The group then fled the store. Police spotted them on Coranderrk Street a short time later and the 15-year-old ran from them before he was caught and arrested.
He was arrested again for bail breaches he admitted committing and prosecutor Mark Wadsworth applied to revoke his bail in court on Thursday.
He said the boy had breached his bail eight times over about five months, including breaking his curfew, being intoxicated in public and contacting his co-defendants.
Duty lawyer Sam Brown said the boy had had a difficult upbringing and a history of using alcohol, cannabis and methylamphetamine but had been sober for two to three months.
The boy is scheduled to be sentenced for the robbery and other charges next week, and Magistrate Ken Archer asked him what he thought should be the outcome of them, noting he had told the author of a court report that he didn’t want to be locked up because he would lose his freedom.
“It’s not up to me, your honour,” the boy said.
He’d broken his curfew when he left his place on New Year’s Eve because he wanted to celebrate. When the magistrate asked him where he had been since then, he replied, “I’ve just been doing my own thing”.
Magistrate Archer ultimately decided it was in the interests of the boy and of justice for him to be granted bail, saying remanding a young person in custody was a last resort.
Bail was granted on the same terms as before and the matter was adjourned for his sentencing.
“Take these few days as an opportunity to try to do constructive things,” the magistrate told him.
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