Surfers Paradise stabbing: Detective Brendan Smith appeals for end to ‘gangster attitude’

A top Gold Coast police officer has angrily appealed to young people to stop carrying knives after a fatal stabbing in Surfers Paradise.

Surfers Paradise stabbing victim Raymond Harris. Photo: Supplied

An “angry” top Gold Coast police officer at his wits’ end with youth knife crime fatalities says relatable young “peer” influencers should be deployed to combat it.

South Eastern Police Regional Crime Coordinator Brendan Smith said the “gangster attitude” needed to change after 27-year-old Raymond Harris became the latest Gold Coast stabbing casualty.

Criminal lawyers say a rising number of crooks are arming themselves with knives for protection.

Harris, allegedly stabbed in the torso outside the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden in the heart of the tourist hub on Cavill Ave, comes after the stabbing deaths in Surfers of teenager Jack Beasley outside the IGA in front of diners in December and Nicholas Braid, 35, in April, outside the Beachcomber.

It is one year since the stabbing death of teenager Harrison Geppert in Varsity Lakes.

“The consequences (of incidents) are getting worse, because years ago people would get full of grog and have a fight, fisticuffs,” Det. Supt Smith said.

“Now people are using weapons, and we are seeing consequences of that and it really is pure luck, a millimetre here, centimetre there, you are going to die.

“The Gold Coast in the main is an extremely safe place. (But) I think there needs to be conversation among people of that age … they are not going to listen to me, or older people, it needs to come from their peers. They need to hear that from their peers, don’t be an idiot.”

Det. Supt. Smith said programs in other parts of Queensland targeted knife crime using personalities and celebrities to sheet home messaging: “The influencers out there, we need to use their power to get the message across.

“We have a family now grieving over the loss of a loved one. And even from the (alleged) offenders’ families point of view, those males and their families will feel the consequences for years,” Det Supt Smith said.

“The gangster attitude needs to change. We have said it 1000 times, young Jack Beasley, the young fellow Geppert at the park, we’ve had four or five deaths from knife crime. But there has been a number of other incidents where people have been stabbed and just through share luck are still with us.

“It’s an attitude thing. We need these people’s peers to say this is not on. We had success over the years around drink driving making it socially unacceptable.”

Det. Supt Smith is appealing for witnesses to the latest fatal alleged stabbing to come forward with any mobile phone footage that might help.

The death on Wednesday night of 27-year-old Raymond

South Eastern Police Regional Crime Coordinator Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith. Picture: Jerad Williams.

MORE NEWS

Gold Coast Election 2020: RACQ names major highway investment, light rail projects on ‘election wishlist’

Queensland/NSW border reopens: We look at 10 of the craziest stories from the past three months

Star Gold Coast appeals State Gov decision to close red-light running intersection with Hooker Blvd

Det. Supt Smith, reflecting on Wednesday night’s incident after a recent stabbing fatality in Brisbane this month and wounding incident in Surfers earlier this week by a flick knife, said: “This is just another incident of knife crime. We had that incident yesterday … now last week that incident in north Brisbane. When will people learn carrying a knife is unacceptable. Not only is it an offence but it carries so much danger. This is the consequence of carrying a knife.

Police at the scene of the fatal stabbing in Surfers Paradise on Wednesday night.

“We need to do something around the carrying of knives. This is not a video game, there is no reset button, people die and they just don’t seem to understand the consequences.

“They think it’s cool to carry a knife. They will say they carry for protection. Load of rubbish. You don’t need to carry a knife for protection in Queensland … it’s one of the safest places in the world.”

Det. Supt Smith said the fact that knives were being carried by more people was leading to devastating outcomes.

Gold Coast stabbing victim Raymond Harris. Photo: Supplied

“We work closely with council, government departments. Other non-government departments. But we are always looking for ideas. We never pretend to be the keeper of ideas. Come forward, we’re happy to listen and if it works and saves one life, it’s a success.”

In the wake of Jack Beasley’s death, police have been using magic wands to detect knives among people in entertainment precincts and on public transport. The Beasley family have also started a foundation to raise awareness around knife crime and the consequences with school kids.

Asked for his overwhelming emotion at 1am soon after the latest fatal stabbing on the Gold Coast, Det. Supt Smith said: “It’s anger. I’ve been doing this 35 years now, every generation has a different issue and at the moment this issue is killing our kids.”

Allen & Searing Criminal Lawyers director Jodi Allen said she had seen an increase in clients caught with a knife.

“Most say it’s for their own protection because they’re generally concerned for their own safety,” she said.

Ms Allen said the rise in knives was not linked to guns.

“I don’t necessarily think guns are getting harder to get but just that knives are so much easier (to obtain),” she said.

Potts Lawyers director Bill Potts said he had also seen a rise in knife crime.

“It’s cultural and opportunism sometimes as they are light and easily carried and perhaps because of a lack of other weapons,” he said.

“The trouble with carrying any weapon is that they tend to be used as offensive rather than defensive objects no matter what they claim.

“And having it for self defence is not a defence.”

Mr Potts said there was “not much” that could be done given that knives are a necessary part of everyday life.

“Deterrent penalties are of limited utility but a community debate about their dangers and the split second decision to use a carried weapon that can kill and devastate is important,” he said.

“It is not smart or tough to carry a knife.”