Teen thug walks free on diversion program after planting needles in train seat
A teen thug who left a man “mentally traumatised” after planting dozens of needles in a Melbourne train has walked free, despite previous run-ins with the law.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A teen thug who planted more than a dozen needles into a Melbourne train seat has walked free on a diversion program after claiming he was drunk and “not thinking” at the time.
The Herald Sun can reveal the boy, 16, had given a similar excuse when stopped by police less than three weeks before his pincushion prank for carrying a knife and cannabis.
He was released on bail for the weapon and drug offences on December 21, only to be captured on CCTV embedding up to 20 needles into the train seat, putting unsuspecting commuters at risk, on the Upfield line just after 8pm on January 7.
The next morning, Anthony Artusa was pricked by the pins when he sat down on the seat after boarding at West Footscray just before 8am.
The prosecution said Mr Artusa had been left “mentally traumatised” as he thought the needles may have been contaminated.
Facing a children’s court on Tuesday, the teen apologised and said he never meant to hurt anyone before he was placed on a three-month diversion program.
If he behaves, completes youth activities, including going to school, the recklessly cause injury charge will be wiped.
It is his second chance at avoiding a criminal record after he completed a diversion program in 2017 for dishonesty offences.
The boy’s lawyer told the court the train vandalism was “spur of the moment” and that he had purchased the pack of needles to open his phone to insert a new SIM card.
“Things have been very difficult for him,” his lawyer said, explaining how his parents had split four years ago and he recently underwent surgery to his finger after a bike crash.
“He wants to write an apology letter to his victim. He feels really awful about it.”
She said following a barrage of media coverage about the incident, the teen handed himself into police.
MORE NEWS: HOME INVASION FEAR GRIPS CITY
JAIL COURTNEY’S KILLER FOR LIFE, COUSIN PLEADS
MOKBEL ATTACKERS TAUNT REVEALED
Police and Metro had launched a hunt for the alleged culprit after Mr Artusa took to social media, sharing images of the needles, to alert other passengers of the potential danger.
“Word of warning when travelling on @metrotrains,” Mr Artusa wrote on Twitter.
“Had a lovely surprise this morning when I sat on a seat with around 20 needles sticking out of it.”
At the time Metro described the needle trap as “a terrible act of vandalism”.
The train prank came after police stopped the teen at a bus station at Northland shopping centre and found him carrying a kitchen knife and 1.37g of cannabis in his backpack in December.
Asked about the drugs, he denied it was his. As for possessing a controlled weapon, he again told police he was “not thinking”.