Adelaide teenager who took a bomb on a suburban bus spared further detention, judge reassures him he will ‘make new friends’
Isolated and missing his old friends, a teenager made a potentially lethal bomb to impress them. Today a judge spared him further jail – and reassured him he’d one day find new friends.
Police & Courts
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A lonely, isolated teenager who took a bomb on an Adelaide bus has been spared further jail and been reassured, by a judge, that he will one day find friends again.
On Monday, District Court Judge Barry Beazley urged the boy, 17, to put his obvious intelligence and aptitude to good use in future rather than dwelling on the past.
He said it was clear the teenager had never meant to hurt anyone – but it was also clear he must learn to appropriately deal with how friendships can change or end over time.
“After leaving primary school you lost your friends … you will, in time, understand that was not a reflection on you but is common to all young people,” he said.
“You will need to put those friendships out of your mind and forget them … you will make new friends in the future, there’s no doubt about that.
“You will wipe your slate clean by staying out of trouble and being of good behaviour.”
The boy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing an explosive device, and one count of possessing instructions to make such an item, without lawful excuse.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of taking a step to manufacture an explosive device.
In sentencing on Monday, Judge Beazley said the charges arose from the boy’s arrest after he had ridden on a southern suburbs bus, carrying his bomb, in March last year.
He said the boy was originally charged with much more serious offences, but those had been dropped after negotiations with prosecutors.
“You had constructed an explosive device by following the instructions … you did so in a competent manner and it was functional,” he said.
“You went to see one of your former friends, showed it to her and were shocked when she became distressed rather than impressed.
“You could not understand why she would be distressed – from your point of view, you believed you were in control of the device.”
Judge Beazley said the boy’s offending was doubtlessly serious, however the many “remarkable features” in his personal circumstances warranted mercy.
He said the boy should be sentenced as a youth, not an adult, and receive a penalty focused on his “care, correction and guidance” rather than punishment.
“You have spent 11 months and 26 days in youth detention … you have been in custody long enough,” he said.
He recorded convictions and sentenced the boy to a further four months and 10 days’ detention, suspended on condition of a two-year, $200 good behaviour bond.