Racecourse Crescent Launceston stabbing: Fourth teen charged with shopping centre stabbing
Tasmania Police has charged a fourth teen, aged 16, with multiple offences after a 50-year-old man was allegedly stabbed multiple times on a shopping centre rooftop. Latest update.
Tasmania
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A fourth youth has been charged over a wounding incident at a shopping centre in the state’s North on Wednesday evening that resulted in a man allegedly being stabbed multiple times.
Police were called to Launceston Plaza at Racecourse Crescent at approximately 8.40pm in response to a report from a concerned member of the public that there were a group of youths that had scaled the shopping centre’s roof.
However, before police arrived, the alleged victim, who was standing on the footpath, became involved with a verbal disagreement with the youths. Police allege he was stabbed multiple times when he also scaled the roof to confront them.
Two teens, aged 15 and 16, were arrested in the hours after the alleged stabbing, with a third teen, also 16, arrested about noon Thursday.
The final alleged offender, aged 16, was taken into custody just after 1.30pm Friday, Tasmania Police said in a statement issued just before 4pm.
The youth has been charged with wounding, trespass and possess dangerous article in a public place, the same charges faced by his three co-accused.
He has been detained to appear in the Youth Justice Division of the Launceston Magistrates Court on Friday night. His three co-accuseds were expected to face court earlier Friday.
The victim remains at the Launceston General Hospital in a stable condition.
Trio of teens charged with shopping centre rooftop stabbing
October 27, 10am: Three teens alleged to have stabbed a 50-year-old man on the roof of a shopping centre in the state’s North on Wednesday night have been charged with multiple offences.
Police were called to Launceston Plaza at Racecourse Crescent at approximately 8.40pm in response to a report from a concerned member of the public that there were a group of youths that had scaled the shopping centre’s roof.
However, before police arrived, the alleged victim, who was standing on the footpath, became involved with a verbal disagreement with the youths. Police allege he was stabbed multiple times when he also scaled the roof to confront them.
Two teens, aged 15 and 16, were arrested in the hours after the alleged stabbing, with a third teen, also 16, arrested about noon Thursday. Police continue to follow a specific line of inquiry to locate a fourth alleged youth offender.
On Friday morning, Tasmania Police confirmed the three teens in custody had been charged with a variety of offences.
Each was charged with wounding, trespass, and possessing a dangerous article in a public place.
The trio were remanded in custody to appear before Launceston Magistrates Court’s Youth Justice Division on Friday.
The alleged victim underwent a lengthy surgery in Launceston General Hospital on Thursday.
‘Saved his life’: Alleged stabbing victim moments from death
October 26, 4pm: A 50-year-old Tasmanian man was stabbed multiple times by four teens who had scaled the roof of a Launceston shopping centre, police allege.
Three teens, one aged 15 and two aged 16, have been arrested and are assisting police with their inquiries. A fourth youth remains at large. Charges are expected to be laid.
On Thursday afternoon, Tasmania Police Inspector Andrew Hanson provided a further update on the alleged stabbing at Launceston Plaza on Racecourse Crescent, which occurred at approximately 8.45pm Wednesday.
A member of the public initially contacted police to express concern that a group of youths who had climbed onto the roof of the plaza would “fall and hurt themselves”.
Moments after the call was made, the four youths allegedly became involved in a “verbal disagreement” with the 50-year-old man, who was down on the footpath, waiting for his wife inside.
Inspector Hanson said the man ascended onto the roof, where there was an “altercation” that resulted in the man allegedly being stabbed multiple times.
“He received significant wounds and there was quite a lot of blood loss," Inspector Hanson said.
“The scene was quite confronting.”
The man managed to return to the ground floor, where he was met by police – just four minutes after they received their initial report about teens on the roof – and, shortly after, paramedics.
They performed “lifesaving first aid, they probably did save the life of the 50-year-old victim,” Inspector Hanson said.
The victim, who improved from a serious to a stable condition, underwent surgery at the Launceston General Hospital on Thursday. The surgery has been underway for multiple hours, as at 3pm Thursday.
Inspector Hanson said Tasmania Police devoted significant resources to apprehending the four young suspects, including uniform police to contain the scene, a “team” of detectives, forensics and drone operators.
Two of the teens were arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the third arrested about noon. At least two houses were searched as part of the investigation. CCTV, which captured the lead-up to and aftermath of the alleged stabbing, helped to identify the alleged offenders.
Inspector Hanson declined to say whether the youths were known to police.
“I understand youth crime is quite topical. Youth offending is a community issue,” he said.
Inspector Hanson declined to comment on how access to the plaza’s roof was gained, particularly as it related to the 50-year-old victim.
“The decisions this gentleman made aren’t in question here. The reality is, nobody deserves to be stabbed to the point their life is in jeopardy,” he said.
Third teen arrested after shopping centre wounding in Launceston
October 26, 2.15pm: A third youth has been taken into custody over a wounding incident in Launceston on Wednesday night.
A man was seriously injured during the incident at the Kmart shopping centre at Racecourse Crescent on Wednesday evening at approximately 8.40pm.
A 15-year-old and 16-year-old were taken into custody in the early hours of Thursday morning, and a 16-year-old was taken into custody just before noon, Tasmania Police said in a statement issued at 2.07pm.
Police are continuing to follow a specific line of inquiry in relation to a fourth youth.
The victim, who the Mercury previously revealed is a 50-year-old man, remains at the Launceston General Hospital in a serious, but stable condition.
Teens in custody after shopping centre wounding in Launceston
October 26, 10am: Two teens have been taken into custody over a serious wounding incident in Launceston on Wednesday night.
About 8:40pm, police were called to the Racecourse Crescent shopping complex after receiving reports a man had been injured.
The man is in a serious but stable condition at the Launceston General Hospital.
A 15 year old and a 16 year old were taken into custody in relation to the incident.
Police are seeking information about a group of youths in dark clothing at the shopping centre at the time of the incident.
‘Cops, blood everywhere’: Man, 50, wounded at shopping centre
October 26, 7.45am: A witness to the aftermath of a serious wounding incident at a Tasmanian shopping centre on Wednesday night reported seeing police and blood “everywhere”.
Tasmania Police said they were called to the Kmart shopping centre at Launceston’s Racecourse Crescent at approximately 8.40pm.
In a statement, police said the victim, who the Mercury has learnt is a 50-year-old male, received “serious injuries”.
The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics, and taken to the Launceston General Hospital.
A witness to the scene’s aftermath described their being police and blood “everywhere”.
Pictures supplied to the Mercury show the shopping centre’s external toilet block cordoned off by police tape, and blood smeared on a wall, the ground in front of which is surrounded by medical items and other rubbish.
Inspector Luke Manhood said witnesses reported a group of people wearing dark, hooded clothing in the area at the time, and urged anyone with information about their identity or identities to come forward.
“This is a serious incident, and we will be focusing our efforts on finding the offender or offenders involved,” he said.
“Anyone with any information is urged to come forward, whether that be a witness to the incident, or someone who may have footage leading up to or during the incident.”
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Originally published as Racecourse Crescent Launceston stabbing: Fourth teen charged with shopping centre stabbing
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