Police charge teens after Oliver Brown cafe owner allegedly bashed at Redlynch

A former marine and Cairns business owner has been bashed, allegedly by a group of kids, while trying to retrieve a set of stolen keys.

Proprietor of the Oliver Brown outlet Jun Kim in the Redlynch Shopping Centre was attacked by a group of youths on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

A former marine and Cairns business owner has been bashed, allegedly by a group of kids, while trying to retrieve a set of stolen keys.

Three boys, all aged 15 who are believed to be associated with a resi care house in Redlynch, were arrested and charged on Sunday morning after it’s claimed they tried to steal from cafe co-owner Jun Kim.

Mr Kim was opening his Oliver Brown chocolate cafe when he inadvertently left the keys to the Redlynch Shopping Centre premises in the lock of the door.

Police allege the teenage boys stole the keys and took off through the shopping centre about 7am.

Mr Kim said he gave chase and managed to grab one kid around the scruff of the neck.

The situation then escalated.

Redlynch Central Shopping Centre at Redlynch. Picture: Brendan Radke

“They kept running and I kept chasing and I got them near the markets and told people to call the police, and they still tried to run and they didn’t give me the shop key,” he said.

“One of the kids started punching in my face and I couldn’t do anything or push back.

“But I had to get the key, otherwise I can’t go home and would have to stay at the cafe.”

The former marine with the Republic of Korea Army said he could easily have taken all three kids down.

But he chose to not engage for fear of “getting into trouble”.

Following the assault, Mr Kim said his face was sore and he had trouble seeing out of one eye but he was otherwise OK.

Oliver Brown Redlynch Central co-owner Jun Kim. Picture: Brendan Radke

There are two residential care houses located near the Redlynch Shopping Centre.

As of May, 222 children under supervised youth justice orders were living in the out-of-home care system, according to government figures.

Police officers later arrested all three boys on Kamerunga Road just after 9am.

They allege the group had stolen food items, before they left the centre and caused damage to the Redlynch skatepark, earlier on Sunday morning.

The boys were later arrested on Kamerunga Road. Picture: Supplied

A 15-year-old Earlville boy was charged with four counts of stealing, one count each of attempted wilful damage and graffiti.

A second 15-year-old Earlville boy was charged with four counts of stealing, and one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm and graffiti.

A 15-year-old Redlynch boy was charged with two counts each of stealing and wilful damage, and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police bail was refused and all three are scheduled to appear in the Cairns Children’s Court on June 23.

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Originally published as Police charge teens after Oliver Brown cafe owner allegedly bashed at Redlynch