Teen boy bailed after punching police officer in face on New Year’s Day

A teenage boy has faced court after he allegedly punched a police officer in the face. The attack was random but he claims to have a reason.

A teenage boy who allegedly punched a police officer in the face has been granted bail.

A TEENAGER who randomly hit a police officer in the face because he had a problem with authority has been granted bail.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly walked up to the police officer about 4am on New Year’s Day and hit him in the face in an unprovoked attack.

The boy claims he wants to apologise to the police officer he injured, the Southport Magistrates court was told this morning.

Magistrate Gary Finger warned the boy he would not be released if his behaviour continued.

“The court is sick and tired of seeing you,” he said.

Magistrate Finger placed strict conditions on the boy’s release including weekly reporting to Youth Justice, a curfew between 7pm and 7am and banned him from the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Safe Night Precincts.

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“If you breach any of these conditions I have given you are not going to get out,” Magistrate Finger said.

The boy is on probation after he was sentenced for other unrelated charges in October last year.

The police officer’s nose was initially thought to be fractured but the court was told his injuries are still undergoing medical assessment.

The boy has been charged with serious assault of a police officer.

Police prosecutor Caitlin Usher opposed the bail application because police thought the boy to be an “unacceptable risk”.

Ms Usher said the officer and his partner were in uniform and conducting patrols in Surfers Paradise.

“He approached one of the officers and punched him in the face,” she said.

She described the officer’s injuries are “significant”.

Defence lawyer Ross Oden, of Oden Legal, said the boy wanted to apologise to police.

“It’s not that he was a police officer but that he has a problem with authority,” he said.

Mr Oden said the night in custody had given the boy a wake-up call and he now realised the seriousness of his actions.

The boy’s family watched the matter unfold and the boy’s sister cried during the proceedings.

The Bulletin had to apply to Magistrate Finger to be allowed to watch court proceedings as the boy is a juvenile.

In a rare move, Magistrate Finger granted the application.

The case will return to court on January 30.