Accused teen intended to hurt commuters with train needles, police allege
An underage teen accused of recklessly planting more than a dozen needles into a Melbourne train seat intended to cause injury to passengers, police allege.
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A teen accused of recklessly planting more than a dozen needles into a Melbourne train seat intended to cause injury to passengers, police allege.
The boy, 16, who cannot be named because of his age, faced a children's court today for the first time since he was charged on Friday.
TEEN ON BAIL BEFORE SHOCKING TRAIN NEEDLE FIND
Police allege he intentionally caused injury to commuter Anthony Artusa when he placed up to 20 needles in a seat on the city-bound Watergardens train on January 8.
Mr Artusa was pricked by the pins when he sat down on the seat after boarding at West Footscray just before 8am.
The boy, supported by his mother and grandfather in court, did not say anything during the brief hearing apart from acknowledging he understood his bail conditions, which includes a curfew.
The court heard he was on bail at the time and was due to appear in court next month on unrelated matters.
His lawyer asked that the charges relating to the alleged train assault be adjourned to the same date. No details of the circumstances of his alleged offending were aired.
Charge sheets, released by the court, reveal he “caused nuisance to the public by planting needles into a passenger seat in a train carriage interfering with comfort, health and safety of the public”.
He is also charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault, unlawful assault with a weapon, namely needles, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Police and Metro launched a hunt for the alleged culprit after Mr Artusa took to social media to alert other passengers of the find, sharing images of the needles, with their ends pointing up, embedded in the seat.
“Upon sitting down, I felt a prick in the back of my upper leg region. I checked my pockets thinking I had left something in there,” Mr Artusa said.
“Turns out there were approximately 20 needles that were depressed by someone into the seat of the train that I sat on.
“They were beneath the surface and once I sat on them, they pushed into through my clothing and piercing my skin.”
Metro has provided police with CCTV of the accused allegedly planting the needle trap.
Another youth, who was with him at the time, has been interviewed by police but released without charge.
A Metro spokesman described it as "a terrible act of vandalism". The boy will return to court on February 5.