Judge slams teen’s late appearance: ‘one day I will blow my top’

A Townsville judge has slammed a child crim’s late court appearance before the teen was sentenced and released for armed robbery of a local convenience store.

A TOWNSVILLE judge has slammed a juvenile’s slack appearance after an 18-year-old was more than half an hour late to court.

Judge John Coker told the court “one day I am going to blow my top” after it was heard Youth Justice arranged to collect the boy but he said he would instead make his own way to court with his cousin.

“I have had enough. I do not know how to get it out to the public, particularly young offenders that bail is a privilege, not a right,” he said.

The court was adjourned for more than 20 minutes until the defendant showed up.

Townsville Courthouse. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The teen, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was charged with armed robbery after he held up a convenience store in the middle of the night in October last year when he was 17.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in the Childrens Court on Monday.

The court heard the teen had two pages of criminal history and prior convictions for possessing a knife.

Crown Prosecutor Molly Mahlouzarides said that on October 24, the boy entered a Night Owl convenience store in Townsville shortly before midnight and armed himself with a knife.

He threatened a 22-year-old worker in the store and demanded he allow him into the office.

Ms Mahlouzarides said the worker initially tried to resist the teen’s attempts to open the till and armed himself with a club and pressed the duress alarm before the boy again threatened him with a knife and said, “Do you want to get killed?”.

The boy then got access to the till and took off with between $400 to $500 of cash.

The court heard the boy later turned himself in to police and was charged.

The boy’s barrister, Dane Marley, said the teen had suffered a “difficult upbringing” and often witnessed and experienced violence.

Mr Marley said alcohol was a significant factor that led to the boy’s offending.

In sentencing, Judge Coker said it was “one of the most serious offences that had come before this court”.

He said such violent behaviour had “tragically become normalised” in the teen’s life.

“You might seriously kill or injure someone,” he said.

The teen was sentenced to six months detention which was immediately suspended.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Judge slams teen’s late appearance: ‘one day I will blow my top’