Teens bailed after allegedly stabbing 34-year-old man at Helensvale in broad daylight
Police have been left outraged after two teens accused of a daylight stabbing at a Gold Coast train station were released on bail and back onto the streets. Read what happened.
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Police are frustrated by a duo accused of a brazen broad daylight stabbing attack at a Gold Coast train station - which left the victim in hospital - getting bail.
Two boys, aged 14 and 15, were granted bail when they fronted Southport Childrens Court on Tuesday charged with a number wounding and assault, with the aggravation of posting the offending online.
“Pure disbelief and at a loss as to how that could happen,” a Gold Coast police officer said about the court's decision.
“What has been alleged, this is at the higher end of offending – extremely serious. The public quite rightly would be asking, in what world is this an acceptable decision by the judiciary?”
A third juvenile charged over the alleged attack on the 34-year-old man at Helensvale station on Monday, has been dealt with by way of a diversion to attend Restorative Justice.
One of the teens charged is a known repeat offender - and police sources said the boy had been caught multiple times carrying knives in public.
The decision by the court, comes amid another shocking week for the state’s youth crime crisis with a grandmother, 69, killed in a horror crash north of Brisbane on Thursday after a teenage driver allegedly ran a red light in a stolen Audi and slammed into her vehicle.
A 16-year-old, the alleged driver of the stolen Audi, was wanted by police for attempted armed robberies and the theft of the car just minutes earlier.
The Caboolture boy was charged on Thursday night with manslaughter, armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
Speaking on the Today show on Friday morning, new Premier David Crisafulli confirmed law changes which could enable juveniles to be sentenced as adults for serious crimes, including manslaughter, would be in place soon.
“I want Queensland to know we intend to drive change when it comes to dealing with youth crime,” Mr Crisafulli told Today.
“Adult crime, adult time will be law by Christmas and we intend to fulfil that promise. We’ll be back here in a fortnight for the first (parliament) sitting, and there will be a second sitting of parliament in December.
“A decision was taken 10 years ago to weaken the laws and on the back of it we have a generation of untouchables.
“Enough’s enough, change must occur, and change will occur.”
EARLIER
A gang of teen thugs have allegedly stabbed and robbed a man in broad daylight near a major Gold Coast shopping centre and train station – and posted about the violent incident online, in the latest case of alleged knife crime.
The 34-year-old victim was allegedly set-upon by three male teenagers as he was walking along Town Centre Drive near outside Helensvale train station at 11am on Monday, a Queensland Police Service (QPS) spokesman alleged.
“The juveniles have assaulted the victim, resulting in the victim sustaining a knife wound to his lower leg,” the QPS spokesman alleged.
Police responding to an emergency call arrested two teenagers nearby at Westfield Helensvale.
A 14-year-old Varsity Lakes boy has been charged with common assault, wounding, and a further two charges of assaults occasioning bodily harm and common assault with the aggravating factor of publishing material on social media.
Teens boasting about crimes on social media can face increased penalties.
A 15-year-old Upper Coomera boy has been charged with knife possession in a public place, common assault, wounding and one count each of assaults occasioning bodily harm and common assault with the aggravating factor of publishing material on social media.
Detectives attended an address in Varsity Lakes on the same morning where another 14-year-old was served with a diversion to Attend Restorative Justice.
A Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) spokesman said the victim was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition for a single laceration to his leg.
The attack comes amid a wanding blitz by Gold Coast police in response to a surge in serious knife-crime related incidents.
In July, 20-year-old Daniel Condon was left lying face down in a pool of blood along Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise after he was allegedly stabbed in the back by what police said was a large silver kitchen knife.
Then, in September, two men were hospitalised after being found with stab wounds along the Gold Coast Highway at Surfers Paradise.
It was followed a month later by a stabbing attack in which a transport worker sustained a wound to his leg near a toilet block at Robina Town Centre. Two men were also hospitalised with serious injuries following an alleged wounding in Surfers Paradise early last month.
In an effort to tackle the scourge, Operation Luminous was launched on October 24, a show of force by police and a wanding blitz targeting public areas across the Gold Coast. Officers held 92 street checks and seven shopping centre walk-throughs.
Pre-election new Premier David Crisafulli vowed to make Jack’s Law – named after Surfers Paradise stabbing victim Jack Beasley – permanent, allowing police to continue wanding suspicious characters for knifes.
“Those laws are working. It’s detected over 1000 weapons since it came in. Jack’s Law will become permanent to protect young people from knives, weapons, and Queensland knows that is important.”
Jack’s Law was due to expire in October 2026.
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Originally published as Teens bailed after allegedly stabbing 34-year-old man at Helensvale in broad daylight