Palm Beach stabbing: Family feud believed to be behind stabbing of teenager
A growing dispute between two families who had been at loggerheads for months is alleged to be the catalyst for the stabbing of a teenager in front of a Gold Coast unit block.
Crime and Court
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THE man accused of stabbing a teenager at Palm Beach did not appear in Southport Magistrates Court when his matter was briefly mentioned today.
Brandon Walker-West, 19, is facing charges of acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old girl in front of a Palm Beach unit block at about 4.10pm yesterday.
The girl was rushed to hospital suffering a wound to the centre of her chest said to have been delivered by a kitchen knife.
It will be alleged the teenagers were from opposing families at the centre of a bitter dispute that is still being investigated by police.
Walker-West’s lawyer Sunil Dutt asked his client not be produced in court.
He requested the matter be adjourned until next Monday.
Mr Dutt said Walker-West would apply for bail next week.
Three young women were in the public gallery supporting Walker-West.
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The 17-year-old girl was initially reported to be in critical but stable condition, however a spokeswoman this morning confirmed she had left the Gold Coast University Hospital.
The spokeswomen could not divulge where she had gone for privacy reasons.
A police spokeswoman said they had received no update to her medical condition.
Forensic officers and detectives were last night combing through two crime scenes, one out the front of the Nalla Court unit block and another inside the other family’s unit, in a neighbouring apartment complex.
A witness, who didn’t want to be named, said the incident was “just waiting to happen.”
He claimed he had seen a number of arguments before yesterday’s shocking attack.
The witness said there was an argument between members of the two families in the moments before the attack.
When the victim followed the fight outside their Nalla Court home, armed with a frying pan, one of the men allegedly attacked her with a kitchen knife.
“I was there when it happened, I heard the girl scream,” he said.
He said those involved were so shocked at the incident that he ran to grab a towel and place it over her chest wound.
“She had blood all over her. The feud had been going on for months.”
He said as the attack happened other people from the unit came out armed as well with an assortment of items.
He said there had been one scuffle between the victim and another man three months ago where police were involved.
The resident said the units were part of housing commission and fights broke out frequently.
Other neighbours agreed, saying they heard fights at least every month.
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One couple, who declined to be named, said the girl “seemed nice”.
They said the girl was shrieking after she had been stabbed and yelling for an ambulance.
Detective Inspector Brendan Smith confirmed to The Bulletin last night that the 17-year-old suffered a stab wound to her chest.
“The victims is in a critical, but stable condition … with a stab wound to the centre of her chest,” Insp Smith said.
“There’s two crime scenes, (a unit in a neighbouring block) and where the incident occurred out in the street.”
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