‘I didn’t know if they were dead or alive’: Teens charged in Coomera attack

‘I didn’t know if they were dead or alive’. Mother’s despair as her daughter and friends beaten and robbed at a major Gold Coast shopping centre.

A GOLD Coast mum could do nothing but listen to her daughter’s screams, as she was violently attacked and robbed outside a Coomera shopping centre on Tuesday.

The Helensvale woman was left to helplessly listen on after answering her phone to her 15-year-old daughter, who called during the attack.

The woman’s daughter and her two of her friends, both 14, had been shopping for school supplies that morning, something they had done before.

The group of three had originally planned to shop at their regular centre in Robina, but changed their mind and instead caught a train to Coomera Westfield, where they were allegedly followed.

The woman’s daughter was walking from Coomera railway station to the shopping centre when she called her mother.

The attack happened near the east entrance of the new Westfield shopping centre at Coomera. Picture: Glenn Hampson

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“She sounded different but I didn’t know there was anything wrong,” the woman told the Bulletin.

“She kept asking me things like what was I doing today, when was I going to be there.

“I had no idea what was going on so I jumped in the car.”

It was then the woman started to hear voices over the phone swearing at her daughter, and her daughter’s pleas.

“All I heard was my daughter saying go away, then I heard muffling.

“Then a blood chilling scream from her was all I could hear, I didn’t know if they were dead or alive.

“They tried hard to get into Westfield to safety, and were five metres from the door, there was CCTV everywhere.”

Three teenagers have been charged in connection with the attack.

It is alleged by police that the girls had been approached by a group of teens outside the centre who demanded the girl’s phones and wallets.

The girls refused and the group then allegedly forced two of the girls to the ground, where they kicked and punched their face and bodies.

The group then allegedly stole one mobile phone and two wallets containing cash, bank cards and other personal identification, before running from the scene in various directions.

The woman — who had called the police — arrived to see her daughter and friends covered in blood, and with their faces swollen.

“Their shirts were ripped and their faces were red, one of the girls had run for help but we thought the other’s nose was broken,” the woman said.

“I couldn’t believe this happened.”

The woman’s daughter and one of the friends had sustained facial injuries and had to be transported to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Railway staff, police and security staff were all present at the scene.

The woman’s daughter later told her mother she was on the ground during the attack.

“She said she was pushed in a bush and then onto the ground, she curled up in a ball just waiting for them to leave,” she said.

“It has been horrific, she is still sore, the girls are both recovering, I don’t think we will know the impact for a while yet.”

Police say they have charged three teenage girls over the alleged violent robbery.

A 13-year-old Crestmead girl and 15-year-old Beenleigh girl have now each been charged with one count of robbery, while a 17-year-old Eagleby girl has been charged with two counts of robbery.

A spokeswoman for Westfield said they were aware of the incident that occurred outside the Coomera centre.

“Our Security team worked closely with Police to assist with their inquiries.”

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