Violent teen smoked cones, drank alcohol before Kawana armed robbery

A teenage criminal’s behaviour was so bad he was removed from detention and continues to breach court orders by living with his mother after he had been removed from her care.

The teenager was armed with a knife when he robbed a man’s house in Rockhampton. Image: File

A judge has hit out at the lack of penalties or punishments handed out when parents ignore court orders where children are removed from their care.

The attack came during the sentencing of a 17-year-old boy for two armed robberies in company, whose behaviour was so bad he was removed from detention.

Rockhampton District Court heard a presentence report stated the juvenile, who cannot legally be named, had been exposed to domestic violence at home and his parents abused substances.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said the report also stated the teenager started abusing substances himself at a young age and was under the influence at the time of the armed robberies.

The court heard he smoked 10 cones and drank alcohol on the day of the offences in August 2022, where he arrived at a 60-year-old man’s Kawana house while armed with a knife, banged on the front door and threatened to bash him with a bat if the man did not give him money.

“That’s a huge amount of drugs for a young body,” Judge Jeff Clarke remarked.

The court heard he had been abusing drugs since he was 11 and had been the subject of a long-term guardianship order in the care of the department of Child Safety.

Judge Clarke said the teen had a history of being violent towards other children and carers and had been suspended from school (before he stopped going in year seven) for violence.

Ms Willey said her client had an intellectual impairment and was diagnosed with disruptive disorder which resulted in his removal from detention.

She said her client was now medicated.

It was after she mentioned the defendant’s mother was in the back of the courtroom in his support and that he wanted to go live with her when released from custody that Judge Clarke lashed out at the system.

“An order was made to remove him from his mother’s care for a very good reason,” Judge Clarke said.

“The court has made an order for a reason, not for him to self place where he wants to be placed, but to actually receive the assistance of the department.

“I really don’t understand that when people are in contempt of orders that nothing is done about it in that jurisdiction.

“It’s troubled me for years.”

Judge Clarke placed the teen on a 12-month probation order for the armed robberies, with no convictions recorded.