6 January 2023

Bottle shattered over BWS employee's head, accused boy has bail continued

| Albert McKnight
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ACT Courts

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.

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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.

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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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More empathy is extended to the perpetrator than the victim, who was terrorised, criminally assaulted and robbed. But when you have a party in local government and a Greens AG seeking to lower the age of criminality and reduce incarceration rates at any cost, the result will be an indulgent judiciary and a revolving door of recidivist juvenile thugs. But who is really at fault? That party or those who voted for them?

Capital Retro4:22 pm 06 Jan 23

“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.”

How was this not called attempted murder?

Only a few more years and that boy can run for preselection for Labor/Greens

norminngunnawalcountry1:15 am 07 Jan 23

Would that balance out the Nasty Party?

This is ridiculous. Why do we even bother apprehending these criminals when they only get a slap on the wrist. What a waste of our taxpayers money.

“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.”

Breaches bail 8 times after committing multiple crimes. Bahahaha, you can’t make this stuff up.

Breached bail conditions 8 times over 5 months and granted bail again. Lefties have broken the system.

norminngunnawalcountry1:12 am 07 Jan 23

dear Nobody,
Do you Righties want the death penalty?
What is your solution?

norminngunnawalcountry, my solution: Acquire the house/apartment next door to you and place them there under the supervision of Extinction Rebellion. Maybe gluing themselves to a road might sort them out

Norm, get real dude, 8 breaches of bail in 5 months, this does not meet community expectations.

Pretty simple really. Bail refused to protect the public from this by behaviour.

“It’s not up to me, your honour,” the boy said. Watch this space.

About time magistrates wake up to them selves and see that these idiots want to be treated like an adult with all their rights and no reprisal, lock them until they’re 18 then they’ll learn in the big boys jail, no wonder the places going down the gurgler.

norminngunnawalcountry1:14 am 07 Jan 23

Dear Brian,
What do you expect them to learn while in jail?
Seriously.

Maybe that actions have consequences?

norminngunnawalcountry, so you think bashing someone over the head with a bottle is a slap on the wrist offence?

So you think that it’s okay to split a persons head while at work and let the ‘child’ have no recourse, I suppose if you have a child or relative and this had happened to any of them, I guess you would pat him on the back and sign kumbaya .

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