Media barred from court for teen charged over Aiden Rhys Bower-Miles’s alleged stabbing murder

The media has been booted from an alleged murder committal despite the accused child’s own barrister saying she couldn’t point to any specific grounds to exclude journalists.

Aiden Rhys Bower-Miles, 20, died after being stabbed in the neck at Underwood. Source: Supplied.

The media has been booted from an alleged murder committal despite the accused child’s own barrister saying she couldn’t point to any specific grounds to exclude journalists.

The teenager, whose exact age is unknown, faced a committal hearing on charges of murder, possessing drugs and contravening an order in Brisbane Children’s Court on Thursday.

The youth was one of two teenagers - aged 15 and 16 at the time - charged with the alleged stabbing murder of 20-year-old Logan man Aiden Rhys Bower-Miles.

Mr Bower-Miles was stabbed in the neck and died during an altercation at Underwood, south of Brisbane, about 1am in February last year.

Upon journalists entering the courtroom Magistrate Anne Thacker halted proceedings for about half an hour.

When she returned Ms Thacker asked the defendant’s barrister whether she was making an application to exclude the media.

“I can’t point to any specific reasons why…” the lawyer said

“Well I can,” Ms Thacker interjected.

Ms Thacker said she was “troubled” by The Courier Mail’s presence given it was a committal hearing only.

“The committal proceedings that are being conducted today include not everything that is being alleged against this defendant,” she said.

“That raises a concern for me, in particular, related to the fact that you will not know a lot of the information because it’s contained in statements, it won’t be in evidence from the witness box.

Aiden Rhys Bower-Miles, 20, died after being stabbed in the neck at Underwood. Source: Supplied.

“That makes, in my view, a very vulnerable situation for the defendant especially given his ethnicity.”

She said the mother of the boy, who is of African heritage, was in the courtroom however her English wasn’t strong so there would be little support for him regarding the presence of two journalists.

“Therefore I think there would be a higher degree of prejudice against the defendant and his perception, in particular, of the fairness of the proceedings,” Ms Thacker said.

The Courier Mail argued that although committal hearings may only provide a partial picture of a case they are frequently reported on without refusing a defendant’s fair trial and the teenager had the added protective layer of anonymity.

The paper also cited the principle of open justice and the strong public interest in matters relating to youth crime.

Ms Thacker remained unconvinced and ordered media be excluded saying the committal’s outcome could be obtained via other means.

She said there was currently discussion in parliament about expanding the media’s ability to report children’s court proceedings but it was unclear if that would involve committals.

Under changes to legislation earlier this year, that enabled greater access for the media to children’s court proceedings, the court “on its own initiative” can still order journalists to be excluded.

The registry later confirmed the youth had been committed to the Supreme Court on the charge of murder.