Youth Court told teenager who allegedly blasted a car with a sawn-off shotgun is ‘respectful’ student with C-grade average

A C-grade student at a respected college stepped out of a luxury car, loaded a sawn-off shotgun and fired it at another vehicle to spark a high-speed shootout, a court has heard.

A teenager with a C-grade school average stepped out of a silver BMW with a sawn-off shotgun and fired twice into another car after two adults helped him load it, a court has heard.

The Youth Court has also heard police were investigating whether the 17-year old later used the same weapon to fire shots between the cars as they drove along a major suburban road.

Counsel for the teenager, however, said their client denied all allegations and was preparing to “positively marshall evidence” to support his “version of events”.

They told the court that the boy, whose goal is a career in computer science, had the support of not only his parents but also his well-regarded northern suburbs college.

“(The teenager) has formed positive and respectful relationships with both staff and students,” the school said in a letter that was read to the court.

“He is a good student who always displays satisfactory behaviour.”

Police surround an Elizabeth Vale address after reports of gunfire. Picture: 7 News.

The youth, 17, of Smithfield, has yet to plead to charges including acts to endanger life, aggravated affray, possessing a firearm with a licence and discharging a firearm.

It is alleged that, on January 21, he was involved in a shootout on Main North Road, Elizabeth Vale, between groups who were “at war with each other”.

Donna Sell, 36, Christopher Ikin, 37, Andrew Goulding, 48, and Ronald Kirkbright, 39, have already faced the Elizabeth Magistrates Court over the alleged incident.

Two other adult alleged co-offenders are yet to face that court.

On Monday, police prosecutors urged the Youth Court to deny the teenager all forms of bail, saying the “convoluted” allegations were “too serious”.

They alleged the teenager was present at an incident prior to the shooting, when two of the adult accused went to a house “on motorbikes”, sparking a brawl.

That incident, they alleged, involved multiple hammers, a steel pole and a star-dropper, leaving the windows of vehicles smashed.

They said the teenager played “a more serious role” in a second confrontation between the groups several hours later that was captured on CCTV.

“The adult offenders returned to the property holding firearms … nine minutes later, a silver BMW arrived and the youth emerged holding a sawn-off shotgun,” they said.

“Two adult co-offenders assisted him to load the sawn-off … he walked toward a blue Holden Commodore, and two gunshots are then heard.”

The reports of gunfire led to several arrests, including a 17-year old male. Picture: 7 News.

Prosecutors said both vehicles were then seen driving “erratically and dangerously” on Main North Rd, with the Commodore “reversing into” the BMW.

“Witnesses observed an orange flash from the driver’s side of the BMW, and the rear window of the Holden exploded,” they said.

“There were then further gunshots from the Holden (fired) at the BMW.”

They argued the teenager was a poor candidate for bail, saying he was with Sell and Goulding when they were arrested.

Travis Moran, for the teenager, said police had yet to release the CCTV footage to his client.

He said High Court authority held that “what a police officer thinks he sees” on CCTV is not evidence due to prior cases “littered with misidentification”.

He said his client’s father and stepmother would act as guarantors and have the teenager live with them on their rural property, “some distance” from the site of the incident.

“My client is a 17-year-old who has never been before the courts previously, is ordinarily about a C-average student,” he said.

“He wants to complete Year 12 forthwith and go on to study at university, something in the nature of computer science.

“He denies all of the allegations and wants an opportunity to marshall evidence to support his version of events.”

Magistrate Todd Grant said a teenager with strong support and without criminal history would “ordinarily” receive bail, however, noted the seriousness of the allegations.

He ordered a home detention report and remanded the teenager in custody until next week – and urged police to provide the CCTV footage to defence as soon as possible.