Apex youth planned crimes from behind bars
AN Apex member recently released after a lengthy term in youth prison for aggravated burglaries, car thefts and drug trafficking was plotting fresh crimes from behind bars.
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AN Apex member recently released after a long stint in youth prison for aggravated burglaries, car thefts and drug trafficking was plotting fresh crimes while behind bars.
The 16-year-old boy, linked to some of Melbourne’s worst teen criminals, recently won an appeal to have his sentence cut for almost 80 charges. He also had time slashed because of a clerical error in sentencing.
A family friend of the boy has told the Sunday Herald Sun the young criminal spoke to friends under the guise of phoning relatives from jail. The source, who cannot be named as it could identify the former inmate, said the boy and a friend were planning to raid new housing estates in Berwick upon his release.
“They were saying ‘let’s get back on it ... there’s s---loads of new estates down Clyde Rd’,” the family friend said. “They were talking about where they’re going to start, where they’re going out.”
Department of Health and Human Services spokesman David Stockman said the department “thoroughly responds to any allegations of criminal behaviour in its facilities and immediately reports it to police”.
It comes amid a teen crime epidemic rocking innocent Victorians and youth justice centres, which have become besieged by rioting teens causing millions of dollars in damage.
It is believed the boy was involved in the recent Parkville riots, including climbing on to the centre’s roof, and has since been moved to Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
In September, a children’s magistrate sentenced the teen to 15 months in youth detention for a long list of car thefts, aggravated burglaries and handling stolen goods, as well as possessing and trafficking ecstasy.
A County Court judge slashed the boy’s term to nine months in an October 20 ruling. That was further amended this month after his lawyers raised that his 138 days in presentence detention hadn’t been declared. The appeal judge, who also presided over the most recent hearing in the County Court, said the teen was a “vulnerable young person” who “would be better placed on parole in the relatively short term”.
“It’s hoped that you will be released sooner rather than later on parole,” the judge said.
The boy has posted pictures online of him standing next to cars, and with stacks of laptops and mobile phones.
“He’s addicted to it. He’s addicted to the rush,” the family friend said.