17-year-old refused bail after gang bashing, kicking ‘blind man’ in the face at Bendigo Marketplace

A 17-year-old charged with bashing a security guard and an “older man with a walking stick” at Bendigo Marketplace also allegedly “took pride” in kicking a “blind” man in the face at the shopping centre.

An accused 17-year-old thug was allegedly part of a group of young thugs who “take pride” in filming vicious “king hits” and “unprovoked attacks” for clout in Bendigo’s CBD, a court has heard.

The 17-year-old applied for bail in a Children’s Court on Wednesday charged with affray and intentionally causing injury and recklessly causing injury.

Police allege the 17-year-old alongside eight other teens attacked a security guard who asked them to leave for drinking alcohol and playing loud music about 4pm on Monday, forcing fearful shoppers to hide in stores.

Senior Constable Linnzi Young told the court CCTV and footage taken from social media allegedly depicted the 17-year-old “king hitting” the guard in the face, “completely unprovoked” while two co-accused teens hit the man from behind while they yelled “racial taunts”.

Teens have been caught on camera allegedly assaulting a security guard and bystanders at Bendigo Marketplace. Picture: Facebook.

The accused teen thugs allegedly ripped off the man’s turban and rained down blows on him before dragging him to the ground and kicking and stomping on his head.

Police allege the 17-year-old stomped on the guard’s head five times, leaving the print of a “Nike TN” on his face.

Multiple people stepped in to help, sheltering him from their blows and taking the guard into a Spec Savers and locking the door.

The guard was allegedly “subjected to continued taunts” while they shook the doors and tried to gain entry.

The teens then allegedly turned the attack on an “older man with a walking stick” who had tried to help the guard, pulling his hair and punching him in the face.

There were 22 calls from “horrified civilians” made and the shopping centre was evacuated.

The court heard the 17-year-old was also charged over another “unprovoked attack” at Bendigo Marketplace.

Teenagers have filmed allegedly attacking a security guard and a bystander at Bendigo Marketplace. Picture: Facebook.

The court heard he told an associate to record him as he approached a 22-year-old “legally blind man” sitting on the footpath and allegedly kicked him in the face, before punching him multiple times in the head.

The victim was left in pain and bleeding, and police alleged in court the 17-year-old “appears to show pride” in the attack.

Police also alleged the 17-year-old attacked a council worker in the stairwell of the Hargreaves St multi-storey carpark, repeatedly punching him in the face and leaving him bleeding from the mouth and ear.

Police alleged in court the 17-year-old “pre-arranges associates to record vicious and unprovoked attacks”.

Senior Constable Young said the 17-year-old was attacking people unprovoked so it could be recorded by his friends and circulated on social media.

He allegedly made full admissions to the police to the Bendigo Marketplace gang bashing on Monday, Senior Constable Young told the court.

The teenager allegedly told police the footage “looks bad” but he appeared “nonchalant and indifferent” when confronted with his alleged offending.

The reason he allegedly gave for the Bendigo Marketplace gang bashing was “because his mates were egging him on”.

The 17-year-old was refused bail after a spate of alleged violent attacks in Bendigo’s CBD.

Senior Constable Young said his attacks had the “potential for manslaughter” and the accused teen thug’s “next victim is at risk of death” if he was released into community

The 17-year-old also allegedly told police himself that he was a risk to the community.

The teen’s lawyer said he should be released to live at his mother’s house, arguing he had no criminal history.

The defence said the 17-year-old’s “aboriginialty is central to this bail application”, also arguing the remand of a child must be a “last resort”.

“Yes there is a risk, but risk can be mitigated to an acceptable level with strict conditions,” his lawyer said.

The 17-year-old’s mother told the court “the character he is now displaying is not him at all”.

However, police revealed under cross examination revealed that the teen had an “unchecked drug and alcohol problem” and was prone to “violent outbursts” at home and school.

The court heard the teen had not attended school in more than three weeks and had been living in a tent with his girlfriend and associating with “negative peers”.

The prosecution said the “risk is enormous” in bailing the teen.

“The offending before the court is morally abhorrent,” the prosecutor said.

“The Bendigo community is petrified of this kind of offending.”

Prosecution argued he was caught on camera committing multiple violent assaults and detention “was in range”.

The Magistrate said “it is clear there is a real risk” in releasing the teen on bail with “no supports” in place after he was found unsuitable for Youth Justice support services.

“We have three separate unprovoked attacks on members of the community,” he said.

“In some cases they appear to be pre-meditated … with others filming in anticipation.”

The Magistrate found on the balance that the teen was an unacceptable risk if released and refused his application for bail.

The 17-year-old will return to court on March 19.