Five teenagers charged in relation to Ipswich gran’s fatal stabbing, one charged with murder

A 16-year-old male charged with the stabbing murder of a 70-year-old Ipswich grandmother was on bail at the time on multiple armed robbery charges, it can be revealed.

A 16-year-old male charged with the stabbing murder of a 70-year-old Ipswich grandmother was on bail at the time on multiple armed robbery charges, it can be revealed.

The teen was charged with three armed robbery offences last year, and was granted bail despite police opposing it.

Vyleen White was fatally stabbed in the underground carpark of Redbank Plains’ Town Square for her Hyundai Getz on Saturday.

Five teens have been charged in relation to the incident – one with murder, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and four with unlawful use of a motor vehicle – with police saying they would not comment on whether any of the juveniles arrested had been on bail.

Some of the youths charged in relation to the fatal stabbing were brought in with their parents who “condemn the [alleged] behaviour that has occurred”, police say, as the teen accused of murder will have his case heard behind closed doors.

It came as the mother of the 16-year-old spoke out.

“My family is a good family,” she told 9 News.

She said her son told her he loved her as he was escorted away by police.

Vyleen White. Picture: Supplied by her family

Detective acting Superintendent Heath McQueen said police were investigating any incidents or offences at the shopping centre prior to the murder.

Supt McQueen said he wouldn’t rule out further charges for others and police were still combing through extensive amounts of evidence.

“A number of these youth were brought in with parents and they condemn the [alleged] behaviour that has occurred here,” he said.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder after Vyleen White was fatally stabbed in the underground carpark of the Redbank Town Centre for her Hyundai Getz.

The 16-year-old from Bellbird Park was arrested at a unit complex in Bellbird Park about 2.45pm on Monday.

His hearing at Ipswich Children’s Court on Tuesday, where he is charged with one count each of murder and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and three counts of stealing, will be closed to the public.

Media outlets applied to be allowed into the court but Acting Magistrate Robert Turra said the presence of media would be “prejudicial to the interest of the child”.

Emotional members of the public lay flowers as a tribute at the scene on Monday. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

He said the presence of media had the potential to “precipitate public speculation”.

Acting Magistrate Turra also acknowledged that some reporting had clearly identified the “ethnicity of the defendant”.

Four other teens have been charged with offences related to the incident.

Another 16-year-old boy was located and arrested in Riverview about 11am on Monday. He has been charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and appeared at Richlands Children’s Court on Tuesday.

Meanwhile a 16-year-old Bellbird Park boy was located and arrested in Bellbird Park about 3pm on Monday. He has been charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and appeared at Beenleigh Children’s Court on Tuesday.

A 15-year-old Bellbird Park boy was arrested at Redbank Plains shortly before 3pm on Monday, February 5. He has been charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and possess tainted property, and appeared at Brisbane Children’s Court on Tuesday.

A 15-year-old Ripley boy faced court on Monday, charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and was granted bail to reappear again later this month.

The scene on Monday. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Journalists were on Tuesday barred from covering the appearance in Beenleigh Magistrates Court of the 16-year-old Bellbird Park boy charged with stealing Mrs White’s Hyundai Getz as well as unlicensed driving.

Media outlets The Courier-Mail, the ABC and channels Nine and Seven applied to the court to be allowed to cover the case, citing factors including the principles of open and transparent justice.

But senior magistrate Ron Kilner rejected the applications, saying a similar one in relation to another defendant had been refused in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday.

Mr Kilner said he was “a little alarmed” at some of the media coverage of the case which “could prejudice a fair and unbiased hearing of the matter”.

He said the 16-year-old’s mention was a “short procedural matter which contains nothing of substance and nothing of importance insofar as the conduct of the case”.

Mr Kilner said the case was being transferred to Ipswich Magistrates Court which should decide if media were permitted in.

Police at the scene. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The media was also blocked from attending the court appearance of another teenager charged with unlawfully using Mrs White’s Hyundai Getz and possessing tainted property.

The Courier Mail, Seven, Nine, the ABC and AAP all applied to be present when the 15-year-old Bellbird Park boy appeared in Brisbane Children's Court on Tuesday.

Children's Court is ordinarily closed to journalists however magistrates can permit media to be present if it doesn’t prejudice the child’s interests.

The media argued its reporting would be incomplete if journalists were not present, there was an extremely strong public interest in the case and departing from the principles of open justice should only occur in limited circumstances.

It was submitted that the media was well aware of its obligations not to identify child defendants and even offered to leave the courtroom and listen to the proceeding via telephone.

The media also argued there was no known basis upon which the court could form the opinion that the presence of journalists would prejudice the child’s interests.

The boy’s Legal Aid duty lawyer Rachel Cavalli opposed the application, citing her client’s fear for his own safety if media were allowed in to report on the case.

“He’s fearful of being accused of the main offence,” she said.

Ms Cavalli said the matter was in the very early stages and the media would be able to appear in the higher courts if the case proceeded there.

Queensland Police and Youth Justice did not take a position on the media’s application.

Magistrate Megan Power said she was sympathetic to the media and community’s interest in learning about the matter in detail however the legislation “demanded” she look only at the prejudice potentially suffered by the defendant.

Detective Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen watched by Commissioner Katarina Carroll at the scene on Monday. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Ms Power said she accepted that there wasn’t particular evidence of prejudice to his wellbeing but it could be safely assumed there was some risk to it by “being confronted by media within the room while he is undergoing an already uncomfortable experience of sitting in the dock””

“It is appropriate that the media not be included in the courtroom,” she said.

Premier Steven Miles says he’ll speak with Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath about “changing magistrate behaviour” to allow journalists into youth courtrooms more often.

“We haven’t considered this as a government policy, but my opinion is that where reporters can be in those courts I think magistrates should let them,” he said.

“I think at the moment magistrates are erring too much on the side of not allowing journalists in... I think they’re making the assessment too often.”

Mr Miles acknowledged domestic violence or child safety issues could prevent courtrooms from being opened, but said he would talk to Ms D’Ath about how to solve the matter.

“I’m certainly happy in the first instance to talk to her about how we can change that magistrate behaviour and then if that fails, I’m certainly happy to look further as well,” he said.

Mr Miles has acknowledged the anger and pain of Vyleen White’s family, but insisted nobody could claim the alleged crime could have been stopped.

“Can I say at the outset I completely understand how Victor (Ms White’s husband) is feeling, he’s grieving, he’s sad and angry and I don’t blame him,” the Premier said on Tuesday.

“Nobody can seriously stand up and say they could have prevented this.

“I’ve heard some politicians go very close to saying that they’d guarantee they could have prevented this (alleged) murder – that’s a pretty incredible statement to be trying to make.”

Mr Miles said the government had added 1600 additional police since it had come to power and said youth crime laws were informed by experts.

“We are putting more police into the community and the laws we have in place and the laws that the police helped us craft and if we need to do more, then we will do more,” he said.

“Nobody anywhere in the world has eliminated all violent crime but what we have is a plan to be tough and a plan to break the cycle of offending and that is informed by the police, informed by the experts, informed by the evidence.

“Where the advice and the evidence says we should change our programs, we will.”

Earlier, Supt McQueen urged people in the community to not get involved in any form of retaliation attacks after the alleged murder.

Detectives are investigating whether the group of kids obtained alcohol and drank it in an abandoned house in the hours before the horrific attack.

Video appears to show youths walking with what appears to be multiple bottles of alcohol at Redbank Town Centre just before 5pm on Saturday.

An hour later grandmother Mrs White was allegedly murdered in front of her six-year-old granddaughter.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll declared police would “hunt down” anyone else they allege was associated with the stabbing.

“If anyone thinks they are going to escape this – they will not escape this – we will hunt these people down until we bring them to justice to be held to account for what they have done,” Ms Carroll said.

Mrs White was shopping with her granddaughter on Saturday when police allege she was approached by a teenager who demanded her car keys before stabbing her.

The teenager is then alleged to have stolen her Hyundai Getz and fled the scene, while her distressed granddaughter ran to get help.

Footage in the hours leading up to the stabbing shows a group leaving a bottle-o with multiple bottles of alcohol at 4.55pm Saturday.

The duo are dressed in black, one wearing a hoodie, and the other a cap and a face mask, before they walk down into the underground carpark.

CCTV shows youths at the shopping centre an hour before Vyleen White’s death.

Detectives will allege they stole the alcohol and will allege they found partly drunken alcohol in a nearby abandoned house, which they say they can link to the group.

Ms White was killed about an hour later.

Detective Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen said on Monday afternoon police were investigating the movements of the group before the attack.

Superintendent McQueen said Ms White didn’t fight back.

“Sadly the motive was to steal a Hyundai Getz,” he alleged.

“This is senseless violence so I don’t think there is any suggestion at all she has fought back,” he said.

“She was taking her granddaughter to the shops.”

The Hyundai Getz was abandoned the next day at Springfield Lakes, with CCTV footage capturing four people exiting the car and walking off.

On Sunday night, a 15-year-old boy was arrested. Four more – three aged 16 and one 15-year-old boy – were arrested in the Ipswich area on Monday afternoon.

Police are investigating if one of the accused youths picked up a group of other teens after the alleged murder.

Supt McQueen said it wasn’t gang-related, however investigators would look at whether alleged offenders were part of any gang.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she had asked to see Mrs White’s family.

She said police would be relentless in pursuing the alleged offenders and more than 40 detectives were working on the murder case.

“As the superintendent has said this is an innocent woman loved by family and loved by community, coming here with her granddaughter, the most abhorrent thing (has happened). And even the truest and hardest detectives find it very difficult, very difficult, to deal with a situation like this.”

Christine Deason challenged police during a press conference on Monday at the scene. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Local resident Christine Deason was among multiple people who interjected at the press conference with police, airing their frustration and demand for action.

“Nothing ever changes after these things. Katarina Carroll always feels the urge to come and say hi after these things but nothing ever changes,” Ms Deason said.

“Nobody does a single thing.

“We need fully-trained security here. They want to put police security at the shopping centre, but that’s not enough, they will just end up going to a different centre.”

Premier Steven Miles also attended the memorial and laid a bunch of flowers.