Lonely teenager apologises for taking bomb on Adelaide bus, says he wanted to repair friendships
A teenager who took a bomb on an Adelaide bus has apologised, telling a court he was “going to fix the chasm between friends”.
Police & Courts
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A lonely, isolated teenager took a bomb on an Adelaide bus as part of a foolish and desperate bid to force the resolution of longstanding friendship issues, a court has heard.
In the District Court on Thursday the boy, who cannot be identified, apologised for his crimes and for terrifying not only his friends and family, but also the wider community.
He said he was disgusted at himself for taking such drastic action to rekindle fractured relationships and ignoring his friends’ right to make their own choices.
“I was going to fix the chasm between friends … free will is at the core of my morality and I’m disgusted I did not take it into account,” he said.
“I foolishly projected my own beliefs on to (my former friends) … they were not meant to be scared, to cry, but they did and I was the cause.
“In my attempt to not be a burden to anyone, I had become the greatest burden of all.”
The youth, 17, pleaded guilty to a number of bomb-making offences as well as possessing an explosive device in public.
He was originally charged with endangering the lives of commuters travelling along a southern suburbs bus route in March last year.
Police alleged CCTV vision and witness statements proved he had explosives with him aboard the vehicle – they did not detonate and no one was hurt.
On Thursday, the boy told the court there was “no excuse” for what he had done, and that the consequences were “mine alone to bear”.
“I cannot do anything to fix what I have done but what I can hope to do is seek forgiveness – not just from my friends and family, but from the greater community,” he said.
“All I want is to be forgiven, and maybe that’s selfish … I want everyone to know I’m truly sorry.”
Stephen Ey, for the boy, said his client was academically gifted but also “marginalised and friendless” due to both the unresolved issues and his “significant disabilities”.
“His thought was ‘I’ve got a bomb, they will all go with me and then they will be friends again’ … this was a desperate cry for help,” he said.
He urged the court to immediately release the boy on a long suspended sentence, with tight supervision and treatment, noting he had already spent a year in youth detention.
“We accept this offending was serious but it’s our submission he has done enough time,” he said.
“He needs to be released back into the care and comfort of his family, where he can receive the support, assistance and treatment he needs.”
Judge Barry Beazley remanded the boy in custody for sentencing in two weeks.