Teenager involved in group assault of 17-year-old faces Toowoomba District Court

A 15-year-old that was part of a mob that attacked a 17-year-old as he rode through a park has been sentenced.

A teenager that was part of a mob that launched an unprovoked attack on another teen has faced Toowoomba District Court.

The 15-year-old, who legally can’t be named, pleaded guilty to robbery in company with personal violence.

The court was told that on the afternoon of March 15 this year a 17-year-old was riding through a Toowoomba park when he was approached by a large group of people.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said the group began to kick the teenager’s bicycle before taking it from him, before he was physically assaulted by the group.

“(The 15-year-old) participated in this violence,” Ms Friedewald said.

“He kicked the complainant twice, he threw a tree branch at his back and when the complainant’s bag was taken from him and (the offender) took the complainants epipens from it and threw them at him with force.”

The court was told the complainant was threatened with further violence, and the assault only stopped when a passer-by intervened.

Ms Friedewald said the defendant was found by police two days later and admitted he was part of the group.

The teenager’s barrister Wes Seewald told the court his client was remorseful for his actions, and tendered a written apology letter addressed to the victim to Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC.

The court was told the defendant didn’t know the other members of the group very well but got caught up in their actions in a “predatory” attack.

Mr Seewald said his client was supported by his parents and was hopeful to find work.

In sentencing the teenager Judge Horneman-Wren said the last sentence of his apology letter was the most important: “it won’t happen again”.

“It’s pretty evident that what occurred was that a bunch of you took it upon yourselves to pick on this 17-year-old and it all might have seemed like a bit of fun and not much trouble for a gang of you to gang up on one other fellow at the time,” he said.

“What might appear as a bit of fun quickly got out of hand such as you find yourself being sentenced for a very serious criminal offence.

“Your behaviour … was seemingly out of character. You must stick with what you wrote in your apology letter and make sure that it won’t happen again.”

The defendant was placed on a 12 month probation order. No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Teenager involved in group assault of 17-year-old faces Toowoomba District Court