Teens sentenced for ‘terrifying’ machete-wielding attempted Mansfield Hotel robbery

A pair of teenage boys inflicted a “terrifying” attempted robbery of a Flinders Street hotel which involved a machete before one of them tried to rape his own niece.

A pair of teenage boys inflicted a “terrifying” attempted robbery of a Flinders Street hotel before one of them tried to rape his own niece two months later, a court has heard.

Both boys, now aged 15 and 16, pleaded guilty to and were sentenced separately in the Childrens Court of Queensland over the attempted armed robbery of the Mansfield Hotel on November 20, 2021.

CCTV footage played for the court showed the two boys exit a stolen car, driven by an unknown third co-offender, beside two people outside the hotel about 1am.

The 16-year-old brandished a machete at the pair, while the 15-year-old pointed for them to walk inside the hotel.

Both boys were later arrested over the incident.

The Mansfield Hotel on Flinders St.

The 16-year-old boy also pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted rape over offences committed against his 11-year-old niece in January 2021, and the robbery against another teenage boy.

This was not the boy’s first time in court for sexual offending, having been previously sentenced for the assault of a middle-aged woman in a busy Townsville shopping arcade.

The court heard that the boy in a report was identified as a “high risk” of future sexual offending, had an intellectual disability and showed a lack of social awareness and empathy.

Defence barrister Ross Malcomson said the boy had been exposed to a “perfect storm” for offending as a child, and had suffered abuse, “significant neglect”, undernourishment, and substance abuse.

Judge Paul Smith said the boy had appeared to be “targeting women” and questioned the community’s safety if a conviction were not recorded for the sexual offending.

“It seems to me (there is) a concern of a high risk of sexual offending, and without those reporting requirements, he’s just out there,” Judge Smith said.

The 15-year-old co-offender was sentenced as a party to the offending, and had not been armed at the time.

In sentencing, Judge Smith remarked the boy’s behaviour had been “terrible”.

“No wonder people don’t come to Townsville as tourists,” he said.

The court heard the boy had breached bail and a curfew during the offence.

Defence Barrister Michael Hibble said his client was the father of a six-month old child.

The 15-year-old was sentenced to 12 months detention, immediately suspended on a three-month conditional release order.

The 16-year-old was sentenced to a head sentence of two years’ jail.

A conviction was recorded for the attempted rape charge.

Originally published as Teens sentenced for ‘terrifying’ machete-wielding attempted Mansfield Hotel robbery