15-year-old pleads guilty to his part in hammer attack during Helm St, Kangaroo Flat home invasion

A prolific 15-year-old car thief who was on his 55th count of bail has blamed his 17-year-old mate for an allegedly brutal hammer attack during a Bendigo home invasion.

A 15-year-old crim has pleaded guilty to dozens of charges from multiple crime sprees across Bendigo. .

A prolific 15-year-old car thief has thrown his 17-year-old mate under the bus over an alleged claw hammer attack during a Bendigo home invasion, blaming him for the horrific injuries caused.

The 15-year-old pleaded guilty on Thursday in a Children’s Court to dozens of charges relating to multiple violent, meth fuelled crime sprees across Bendigo and Melbourne, including his involvement in a home invasion on Helm St in Kangaroo Flat on February 13.

The 15-year-old and his 17-year-old co-accused entered the home, with the older teen allegedly brutally attacking a person inside with a claw hammer.

The teen pleaded guilty to dozens of charges related to car thefts and burglaries in Bendigo.

The 17-year-old allegedly told the victim, who was left bleeding profusely from a head wound: “I will be back to spray this house with lead.”

The 17-year-old was refused bail in March after police revealed the teen had allegedly spoken about wanting to “murder” when he was released from custody and his charges remain before the court.

The 15-year-old had been released on his 55th bail by a Children’s Court less than two weeks earlier so he could take up go karting instead of stealing cars, but within days he was back on the streets breaking into houses and stealing cars, police previously told the court.

The defence argued the 15-year-old he wasn’t armed and “was merely present” during the Helm St home invasion – blaming the 17-year-old co-accused for the horrific injuries reported.

Prior to pleading guilty to dozens of charges relating to multiple crime sprees including car thefts and violent robberies, the 15-year-old crim’s legal team attempted to get the thug released on his 56th count of bail.

The 15-year-old had previously been ranked the fourth most prolific car thief in Central Victoria by police intelligence.

However, Magistrate Megan Aumair — who had previously released the crim — said the court was “not inclined” to have the teen in the community before a pre-sentence report was undertaken.

Ms Aumair said there “must be” some detention in his sentence, and “there is no bail” until the court had an idea how what kind of sentence he would receive.

The teen had been hit with hundreds of charges from the ages of 11 to 15, with his cornucopia of crimes ranging from arson, robbery, home invasions, aggravated burglary, burglary, car theft, dangerous (and unlicensed) driving and violent assaults.

In July 2023, he avoided jail on 81 charges relating to similar charges on several crime sprees when he was sentenced to a probation order without conviction – which he had now breached.

He was remanded to appear back before a Children’s Court on June 12.