Violent teenager who allegedly bashed Bendigo Marketplace security guard granted bail

Just hours before tougher bail laws come into effect, a 17-year-old accused of bashing a Bendigo mall security guard — who commented youth detention was “like a hotel” — has been released from custody.

A teenager who allegedly bashed a security guard at Bendigo Marketplace has been bailed just hours before stronger laws come into effect.

The 17-year-old boy, allegedly part of a vicious group of youths who film unprovoked violence for clout in Bendigo’s CBD, faced a Children’s Court on Friday.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh said the boy’s behaviour was “atrocious” and he had caused “a lot of harm, both physical and emotional and psychological” by allegedly committing three serious assaults in a single week.

He said the new bail laws, which were passed just after midnight on Friday, had not come into effect by the time of the hearing — about 12 hours later.

Mr Huynh told the boy if the laws had been in effect, or had the teen been 18, it would be a different set of circumstances.

“I cannot warn you enough that if you continue down the path that you’re currently on, it won’t be favourable,” he said.

In arguing against bail, prosecutors said the boy created a “climate of fear” in Bendigo.

Teens were caught on camera allegedly assaulting a security guard at Bendigo Marketplace. Picture: Facebook

Police allege he and eight other teens in early March attacked a security guard at Bendigo Marketplace who asked them to leave for drinking alcohol and playing loud music.

The boy was refused bail days later, but faced court again on Friday having been assessed as suitable for supervised bail with the support of youth justice services.

The court heard the teenager had no ongoing education or employment, and had been “exited” from his former school after a “violent attack” on a student.

Police said the teen’s mother had reported his behaviour as “out of control” in the months leading up to his remand, describing “stand-over behaviour” towards his own mum in the home.

The court heard the teenager sometimes got upset and angry, and would punch objects like trees, walls, or bricks.

“Whatever upsets him he’ll start in a rage, and he’ll go outside and in the meantime [other family members are] seeing this violence going on outside,” his mother said.

The teenager initially enjoyed custody, telling his mum: “This is great mum: it's like a hotel room.”

“I’m getting everything given to me,” he said.

A screenshot from footage of the alleged March 3 gang attack at Bendigo Marketplace. Picture: Facebook

But within three to four days he expressed a desire to come home and more recently told his family he missed them.

Police told the court the teenager remained an unacceptable risk to the community given he intentionally sought out vulnerable victims and told his friends in advance to film him.

They alleged he isolated victims and committed extreme violence without provocation, causing a “climate of fear” in Bendigo that has forced shopping centres into lockdown.

He damaged public confidence in the public’s ability to shop, work, and gather, the court heard, and he “horrified bystanders” by his actions – as shown by 22 emergency calls made during his recent alleged offending, the court was told.

“If there was no one around him at a certain time, I don’t think there’ll be anything to persuade him from not going into Bendigo Mall or the Marketplace to commit further offences by meeting up with his associates,” the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors also expressed concerns about the teen’s hesitance towards rehabilitation, his lack of supervision between appointments, and about family violence.

The teen was granted bail with conditions including making supervision appointments, residing with his mother, abiding by a curfew, not using social media or drugs or alcohol, not entering the Bendigo CBD or Bendigo Marketplace, not going to any shopping complex without his mother or youth justice workers, and not contacting certain associates.