Teenage girl charged over violent Adelaide carjacking released on bail to live with her mum, who was also charged
An Adelaide teenager allegedly involved in a violent carjacking was told by her mother to remove fingerprints from the vehicle, a court has heard.
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An Adelaide teenager allegedly involved in a violent carjacking was told by her mother to remove fingerprints from the vehicle, a court has heard.
Prosecutors will allege the older woman also offered to help torch the car in text messages exchanged between the pair.
However, the 15-year-old girl has been released on bail to live at the family home after a Supreme Court judge found there was “realistically no alternative”.
It is alleged that the victim was leaving the Elizabeth City Shopping Centre, north of the city, on the afternoon of September 2 when she was approached by two teenage girls.
A judgment published by the court this week reveals one repeatedly punched and kicked the victim’s face, before the other grabbed her car keys and got into the driver’s seat of her car.
The pair, who were wearing hoods and surgical masks, drove off, taking the victim’s handbag and its contents.
About 10pm that evening the car was found on fire at North Haven Football Club at nearby Largs North.
The girl was arrested two days later and charged with arson and aggravated committing robbery by force.
She was refused bail in the Youth Court but lodged a Supreme Court review.
Prosecutors argued it was not appropriate to bail the girl to live at the family home because of her mother’s alleged involvement in the crime.
“Messaging between the applicant and her mother is alleged to include advice from her mother to remove fingerprints from the vehicle as well as offering assistance to ‘torch the car’,” the judgment said.
However, Justice Mark Livesey said it was important to consider the “preservation and strengthening” of the girl’s relationships with her family, and her need to attend school.
He granted her home detention bail on strict conditions including electronic monitoring and a requirement to attend school.
“I make these observations well recognising that it is a very serious matter to subject a child to electronic monitoring,” he said.
The other girl charged over the carjacking, who is aged 16, has not applied for bail.
Less than two weeks before the shopping centre incident is alleged to have occurred, she was released from youth detention after spending five months in custody for another carjacking and a violent assault.
Originally published as Teenage girl charged over violent Adelaide carjacking released on bail to live with her mum, who was also charged