Levi Young-Henderson, 19, pleads guilty to stringing wire across Port Noarlunga bike path, knocking down cyclists

A teenager who strung wire across an Adelaide bike path – causing injury and damage to cyclists and their rides – has pleaded guilty.

A self-professed “evil” teenager has admitted to stringing a piece of wire across one of Adelaide’s busiest bike paths – injuring cyclists and causing more than $40,000 in damages – but insists his offending wasn’t “serious”.

Levi Young-Henderson, 19, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to four counts of damage property and two counts of act to cause harm.

Young-Henderson, of Noarlunga Downs was initially charged with act to cause serious harm – but admitted to the lesser charges following negotiations with the prosecution.

“You placed a wire across a bike path, knowing that the act was likely to cause serious harm to another,” Magistrate Roderick Jensen said. “Do you plead not guilty to that charge?”

“I plead not guilty,” Young-Henderson replied.

Young-Henderson leaves court. Picture: Charlie Dadds

“Do you plead guilty to the same wording, except omitting the words ‘cause serious harm’ and substituting ‘cause harm to another’?” Mr Jensen asked.

“Yes, I plead guilty to that charge,” Young-Henderson said.

Through his pleas, Young-Henderson conceded to have “acted in a way that placed the community’s safety in considerable risk”, by placing wire across the Patrick Jonker Veloway, in Port Noarlunga – causing more than $40,000 in damages after a number of cyclists struck the wire and fell from their bikes.

Three riders sustained serious damage to their bikes after they ran into the wire, while two men suffered “nasty grazes on the knees and elbows” when they fell off their bikes at a speed of about 35km/h.

Poznan Path bridge along the Southern Expressway, near where the offending took place. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

It was previously alleged the teen was found to have a video on his phone displaying the bike path with the caption ‘I’m so evil’ and a devil emoji.

At his first appearance, defence counsel told a court the charges were “entirely contested”, and their client walked down the bike path every day for his job as a casual fencer and “filmed the video as a joke”.

On Thursday, Young-Henderson pleaded guilty to the charges – and requested his sentencing be delivered in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court following the return of a psychological assessment.

He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced in October.

Originally published as Levi Young-Henderson, 19, pleads guilty to stringing wire across Port Noarlunga bike path, knocking down cyclists