Frank Bosco: OneFour gang member jailed over Rooty Hill train station brawl
A court has heard it was lucky nobody was killed when members of two warring gangs were involved in a violent brawl at a train station with hammers, knives and a machete used as weapons.
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A magistrate has lashed a young gang member for putting commuters at a western Sydney train station in fear of their lives as he brandished a hammer at a rival gang.
Frank Bosco, 18, admitted to taking part in the confrontation at Rooty Hill train station where members of the warring OneFour/Greater West and Inner West gangs brawled in front of shocked commuters while being armed with hammers, knives and a machete.
He faced Mt Druitt Local Court on Tuesday for sentencing after pleading guilty to being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, affray and possessing unlawfully obtained goods.
The court heard the Marsden Park teen, who is a member of the OneFour gang, planned to meet with three other young males at the train station on the afternoon of June 12, armed with weapons, before confronting rival gang members.
Shocking CCTV footage captured Bosco and his gang associates descend down the platform stairs in a pack with their faces covered while brandishing weapons as Inner West gang members disembarked from a busy train.
The video showed the teens threaten the opposing gang members with violence on the station platform, as Bosco waves about a 30cm hammer.
The confrontation ceased after Inner West members retreated to the train and Bosco’s group left the station.
Police documents said the incident was one of a rising number of gang altercations across western Sydney between Greater West and Inner West, sparked by the stabbing death of 20-year-old Inner West gang associate Tinorei Henri at Parramatta train station in October 2018.
Police said the ongoing gang conflict had spurred on numerous stabbings, violent altercations and car fire bombings, often in public places in broad daylight.
In sentencing, Bosco’s defence said his criminal offending had been set off by the death of his grandmother and close friend.
“It’s a situation where Mr Bosco tells me after he completed his HSC, he’s suffered a number of setbacks,” he said.
“He has struggled with his feelings and found it extremely difficult.
“This is part of the reason why he’s had associations with a negative peer group.”
The court heard Bosco was sorry for his actions.
“He’s described his own actions as selfish,” the defence said.
“He was trying to resolve a personal dispute in a public place and put members of the public in fear.
“He’s told me members of the public are entitled to be on public transport without fear of an incident of this kind.”
Magistrate Stephen Corry said it was lucky nobody was killed in the incident.
“This was something where you had gone to the station as a planned exercise armed with a weapon that could potentially cause lethal injury,” Magistrate Corry said.
“This happened after 4pm on a weekday afternoon where you would expect there to be large numbers of members of the public going about their day.
“We’ve seen media reports recently about this sort of affair turning into a full-blown affray where someone ends up dead, which could’ve happened in this case.
“This matter is a serious example of an affray with weapons. It was planned, it was in a public place. Police were receiving a number of triple triple-0 calls as a result of this.”
Bosco was sentenced to 14 months’ jail, with a non-parole period of eight months. With time served, he will be eligible for release in January 2021.