Boys charged after serious alleged bashing that police believe sparked Zillmere killing
A group of teenage boys have been charged following the alleged bashing of a young man, in an incident that police allege sparked a horror attack on a group of youths and claimed the life of one teen.
Police & Courts
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Four teenagers have been charged after police allege they were part of a group who used baseball bats to bash a young man at an Ipswich shopping centre, in what police allege sparked the attack involving three carloads of young men at a park in Zillmere last week.
Police allege the September 8 incident at the Town Square Redbank Plains shopping centre is linked to last week’s alleged attack at Zillmere, which claimed the life of 19-year-old Girum Mekonnen.
Fight that may have sparked fatal gang attack
Ipswich detectives allege that during the Redbank Plains attack, a 21-year-old man was assaulted with baseball bats, before the group of juveniles fled in two vehicles- a Mazda 323 and Mitsubishi Lancer.
The young man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, where he remained for about one week.
Following the incident, The Courier-Mail viewed CCTV footage of the alleged brutal baseball bat bashing of the young man.
Ipswich detectives have charged three 17-year-old boys from the Ipswich area with one count each of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm and affray following the Redbank Plains incident.
A 16-year-old Yeronga boy has been charged with acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, affray and contravening an order.
Only five days following the Redbank Plains alleged bashing, a group of at least 13 men took to a Zillmere park where they allegedly attacked another group of people, including Mr Mekonnen- who died as a result of stab wounds.
On the day following the September 13 park attack, police revealed they were investigating if the melee, which has resulted in 13 men charged with murder, was linked to the Redbank Plains incident.
Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said at the time he was investigating whether the Zillmere incident might have been in retribution for the Redbank Plains assault, which happened outside Woolworths.
“That is unconfirmed at this stage but certainly the indications are that may be the case,” he said.
“That was an assault … it involved a group of African people on an African man who suffered significant injuries.”
The victim from the Redbank assault was thought to be in hospital at the time of the Zillmere park attack.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact police.
Investigations are continuing.