Youth crime: Victim demands young thugs must pay

It started with a request for a cigarette and ended with a South East Queensland man fighting for his life after eight teen thugs turned on him. Now, $20,000 in medical bills later, he’s demanding tougher action after his attackers were let off with a caution.

A Redcliffe man who will spend almost $20,000 to fix his teeth after being bashed by a group of teens is demanding tougher youth crime laws after his attackers escaped with just a slap on the wrist.

Full-time NDIS carer Barry Anderson was left fighting for his life and is now struggling to pay his mortgage after the brutal attack – which forced him to take eight weeks off work to recover.

Mr Anderson said he was walking home from his birthday celebrations with a friend on January 23 when they were accosted by eight youths demanding cigarettes.

“We said ‘look sorry guys we don’t smoke so we don’t have any’,” the 58-year-old said.

“They came a little bit closer and in an aggressive way they said ‘give us a cigarette you white privileged c**ts’ and then I got hit from behind.”

An emotional Mr Anderson said he remembers being punched and hit over the head with a piece of wood before he went unconscious.

He lost two teeth and suffered a significant head bleed during the attack and was rushed to hospital.

Mr Anderson said he has paid $18,500 to fix his teeth and will likely pay more with many of his teeth left wobbly as a result of the attack.

Barry Anderson was attacked by youths at Redcliffe on a walk home from his birthday celebrations and wants stronger punishment for youth offenders. Picture: Zak Simmonds

While the disability services worker was undergoing weeks of painful recovery his attackers were handed a caution – and are now free to roam the streets.

He has applied for financial assistance through the Victim Assist Queensland scheme and has was told in a letter by a support officer, seen by the Courier Mail, that it may take some months for his application to be assigned to an assessor.

Mr Anderson is demanding the state government implement stricter legislation and sentencing options for juvenile crime.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman confirmed police took a group of youths into custody over the assault, with four teens aged between 14 and 16 dealt with “under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act”.

Under the law, police can caution a child if they admit the offence, consent to being cautioned or if a parent or adult understand the purpose of the caution.

“Police will consider whether a child has previously received a caution or cautions when considering what action to take in relation to any later offending,” the QPS spokeswoman said.

Opposition police spokesman Dale Last slammed authorities’ response to the attack, declaring it “could have almost been attempted murder”.

Barry Anderson recovering in hospital after the brutal unprovoked attack. Credit: Matthew Anderson

“He’s had to go to hospital in an ambulance unconscious, two more trips to the emergency department followed by surgery to stop the bleeding in his head, this was a serious assault,” he said.

“He’s very lucky to be alive.”

Mr Last said the state government’s legislation was not meeting the community expectations and called for “tough decisions” to be made to prevent recidivist offending.

“If you are belting someone so seriously, that they required hospitalisation, surgery … then those kids need to be held to account,” he said.

Children and Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said the government’s youth crime laws were “making a difference to community safety and helping young people turn their lives around”.

“Any situation that involves violence is distressing to hear about and my thoughts always go to those who have been injured or impacted by the behaviour of those who perpetrate crimes,” she said.

“Queensland now has the toughest youth bail laws in the country, which have seen more young offenders being demanded to custody and being held there longer.

“These new laws include a presumption against bail for serious repeat offenders who commit a crime while on bail; and the ability for a court to seek assurances from parents or guardians before an offender is released.”