Australian teenager detained in Bali accused of shoplifting at airport

AN AUSTRALIAN teenager will spend the night at a Bali police station after being accused of stealing two watches from an airport duty free shop at Bali’s international airport.

AN AUSTRALIAN teenager has been detained in Bali, accused of stealing two watches from an airport duty free shop at Bali’s international airport.

The 17-year-old, from Mermaid Waters on Queensland’s Gold Coast, is now being held in the same police station as 43-year-old Brendon Luke Johnsson, from the Sunshine Coast, who is facing drug dealing charges.

The Gold Coast teenager was arrested about 2pm on Saturday when he was at the airport and about to catch a Jetstar flight from Bali to Brisbane.

Given his age, the teenager is being held under Indonesia’s child protection laws and is therefore not being held in the police jail cell but a room of the police station.

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A 17-year-old Australian teenager at Denpasar Police station. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

It is understood the teenager was at the airport and ready to fly home to Australia with his stepbrother when he was detained. His father and stepmother had remained and are understood to have planned to fly home the following day.

It is understood the teenager’s father was with him at the police station.

He must stay another night at Denpasar Police station as he awaits a meeting with the duty free store in a bid to avoid charges. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

It is the same police station where Brendon Johnsson is being held, along with his Indonesian girlfriend and another co-accused, a woman who is six months pregnant who faces charges of selling cocaine.

Johnsson, who faces cocaine dealing charges which carry a 20-year maximum jail term, was arrested more than a week ago and is being held at the Denpasar police station. Johnsson’s stepfather and brother are believed to have flown to Bali on the weekend to support him but have yet to visit him in custody.

The Gold Coast teenager has had a lawyer assisting him since his arrest.

Lawyer Putu Angga Pratama Sukma was appointed yesterday to assist the teenager with his case and is hoping to have the matter resolved through mediation rather than charges and going to court.

Australian Brendan Luke Johnsson pictured in a Drug Unit cell at Denpasar Police Station in Bali. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

The lawyer said the teenager had not yet been named as a suspect and they were hoping, through mediation, to avoid this.

The two watches in question are valued at $950 to $1200 AUD in total according to Dufree duty free store, the victim of the alleged theft.

“In Indonesia, a case with a child as a perpetrator, the case is attempted to finish without court. We call it diversion. It’s kind of like mediation. Police will encourage the victim to revoke the report and forgive the perpetrator. Its based on the law,” Mr Sukma told News Corporation.

He said they hoped to conduct a meeting today between the teenager and the duty free store in a bid to avoid charges.

One meeting, on the weekend and before Mr Sukma was the lawyer, did not succeed.

Mr Sukma said the teenager was crying after being detained.

“Yes, he was crying. He felt shocked and has promised not to do the same thing again,” Mr Sukma said.