‘Isn’t your dad dead?’ Aaron Devereux and Benjamin Foy allegedly torment teen apprentice

Two Ballarat tradies allegedly mocked a teenage apprentice’s deceased father, tormented him on job sites, and enticed him to put his head in a makeshift noose.

Aaron Devereux, 23, is accused of breaching Brodie’s Law alongside Benjamin Foy, 30 (not pictured).

Two tradesmen allegedly mocked a young colleague about his deceased father and later took part in a faux lynching of the teenager while at a Ballarat worksite.

Aaron Devereux, 23, and Benjamin Foy, 30, have been accused of endangering the life of a 17-year-old apprentice in late 2022 and early 2023 while they were employed at Celsius Heating and Cooling in Bakery Hill, Ballarat Magistrates’ Court has heard.

It is alleged Mr Devereux and Mr Foy made derogatory comments towards the apprentice, including about his mother and deceased father, the court heard.

“You can’t do much without your dad,” they allegedly said.

“Isn’t your dad dead?”

Mr Devereux allegedly asked the teen if he could “rail your mum”.

The apprentice was allegedly tormented in other ways, such as having his hair spray-painted and cut, and on one occasion in Sebastopol, having water poured over him so he had to spend the day in wet clothes, the court heard.

On February 15, 2023 at a job site in Alfredton, the tradies, while working in a roof cavity together, allegedly enticed the teenager to place his head in a noose made of blue tape, which was tied to a truss.

They allegedly bound his ankles and held his feet off the ground such that, according to the victim, his neck held his body weight for two seconds.

The apprentice said Mr Devereux filmed the incident, which was reported to police the following day.

Officers seized the tradesmens’ phones and discovered Snapchat videos depicting the complainant.

The teen suffered redness to the neck and was said to have severe anxiety, as well as moderate stress and depression.

The court heard Mr Devereux made no comment in his interview with police, whereas Mr Foy asserted the apprentice’s feet were touching the ground during the alleged mock hanging.

Mr Foy, from Sebastopol, was charged with stalking, reckless conduct endangering a person, reckless assault causing injury, and unlawful assault.

Mr Devereux, of Alfredton, was charged with stalking, reckless conduct endangering a person, reckless assault causing injury, and unlawful assault.

A third co-accused was in August put on a good behaviour bond without conviction after he pleaded guilty to reckless conduct.

Defence lawyers in Mr Devereux’s and Mr Foy’s cases are seeking more specific details of what constitutes the charges laid against their clients.

They told the court they had some factual disputes about the alleged course of events.

Police intend to call nine witnesses in total at a contested hearing, including a GP who saw the apprentice soon after the alleged incident in February.