Girl, 16, charged over violent carjacking released on home detention bail following five months in custody

A teenage girl who has previously bashed a young girl at McDonald’s and violently carjacked a taxi has been bailed on her most recent charges.

An Adelaide teenager with a history of violent crime has been released on bail by the Youth Court. Picture: Supplied via NCA NewsWire

A 16-year-old girl with a history of violent crime, who was most recently accused of breaking a woman’s jaw during a carjacking, has been released on bail.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and another girl allegedly attacked a 40-year-old woman at the Elizabeth shopping centre, north of the Adelaide CBD, in September last year.

They made off in the victim’s car, police said, which was later found torched at the North Haven Football Club.

The girl was arrested and has spent the past five months in youth detention.

SA Police released this photo of a carjacking at the Elizabeth shopping centre in September. Two teenage girls were later arrested. Picture: SA Police via NCA NewsWire

The 40-year-old victim’s car was found torched at North Haven following the carjacking. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

The incident happened less than two weeks after she was released from a different stint in custody.

In late August, she had been handed a suspended sentence for bashing a girl at a suburban McDonald’s, then violently carjacking a taxi driver while on bail.

During an Adelaide Youth Court hearing on Friday, prosecutor Joanna Caracoussis opposed all forms of bail on the teenager’s latest charges.

“It was a brazen attack, which has occurred on a member of the public in the middle of the afternoon at the Elizabeth Shopping Centre,”

“She was violently assaulted and suffered significant injuries. She was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital with a fractured jaw, and her motor vehicle was stolen.”

Ms Caracoussis said, given the girl’s prior history, the court could not be confident she would comply with bail conditions.

The 16-year-old girl, right, has been released on home detention bail to live with her father. Picture: Supplied via NCA NewsWire

The court heard she has indicated she intends to plead guilty to a charge of committing theft using force, but will face trial on arson of a building or motor vehicle.

Lana Chester, for the youth, said there is currently no evidence that she was in or near the car at the time it was torched.

Ms Chester argued her client should be released while she waits for the case to finalise.

“She’s acknowledged that she’s got some issues but, more importantly, she seems to be addressing them now,” she said.

“That seems to be the key in terms of her overall rehabilitation.”

Magistrate Oliver Koehn agreed the progress was encouraging and granted her home detention bail to live with her father.

He imposed a condition that the girl must not contact her co-accused youth except when they are at school together.

Outside court, her father apologised to his daughter’s latest alleged victim but said she was growing up.

“Juveniles are f***ing juveniles,” he told reporters.

The teenager is due back before the youth court next month.

Originally published as Girl, 16, charged over violent carjacking released on home detention bail following five months in custody