Melbourne Apex wannabe’s parents keep chain as warning

PARENTS who shackled their Apex wannabe son to his bed to stop him burgling homes and stealing cars will keep the chain as a warning to him.

• Parents shackle Apex wannabe son to bed to stop his violent Melbourne sprees

PARENTS who shackled their Apex wannabe son to his bed to stop him burgling homes and stealing cars will keep the chain as a warning to him.

After the 16-year-old was bailed for the second time in weeks, his mother said she and her husband would resort to the heavy-duty restraint again if he kept breaking the law.

“He will have a chance to prove himself. But the first sign of trouble and I won’t hesitate to put it on. It remains at the end of his bed as a reminder to behave,” the mother told the Herald Sun this week.

The mum in her son’s bedroom, where her husband’s motorcycle chain kept their teen inside at night. Picture: Ian Currie

The teen, involved in the Moomba riots, was released on a deferred sentence by a magistrate, who told him she had run out of patience.

“You must stay out of trouble: this is your last chance. There comes a point in time where the court has to say ‘enough is enough’,” she said.

The boy was bailed over car thefts in August but locked up over a September 2 police chase, during which he was alleged to have been high on ecstasy. He was charged with assault after being reported by his mother, who was congratulated by a court for vigilance.

Meanwhile, a professional sporting hopeful is facing jail over a violent carjacking of a family of three, during which a 12-year-old girl was pulled from the BMW parked in her own driveway.

The Moomba rioter was granted a deferral by the courts before going on the July 18 crime spree, which also involved a home invasion and attempted carjacking.

A damning report delivered to the magistrate said the 17-year-old was ignoring the directions of youth justice, not attending school or engaging in sport, despite his promising future.

The boy’s lawyer said his client’s coach was in court and that “everything is still open”.

But the magistrate, who was expressed surprise the teen was on bail, said he was at a serious risk of being incarcerated.

“Just because he is out of custody now it doesn’t mean he will be,” she said.

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