Glen Huntly abduction: Schoolboy Benjamin left with permanent brain injury

A teenage girl charged over the abduction of schoolboy Benjamin in Glen Huntly sent texts to her friend the next day that she “could get done for murder”.

A teenage girl charged over the abduction of schoolboy Benjamin in Glen Huntly, leaving him with life-altering injuries, sent frantic texts to her friend the next day that she “could get done for murder”.

Text messages from the girl, 14, who police believe drove the car that abducted the Glen Eira College student last month, were read in a children’s court as her co-accused friend, 15, was granted bail on Friday.

A third boy, 14, remains behind bars over the machete attacks on students who were walking home from school.

In the texts sent on September 5, she said she was driving as her co-accused, the 14-year-old boy, “stabbed” Benjamin while another boy, 15, “only bashed him”.

“But me and (the 14-year-old boy) could get done for murder if he ends up dying,” she texted to her friend, who was also the girlfriend of the co-accused boy, 14.

“We didn’t force him in the car, he wouldn’t let go of (the 15-year-old boy) when we were driving then he fell out of the car,” she said of Benjamin.

“It know it’s f***ed, I have f***ing problems now, I can’t sleep … what if I killed him? He’s in a coma.”

Police allege that the trio, driving in a car, attacked and robbed a number of students after school on September 4 before they grabbed Benjamin, 14, off the street.

Benjamin was left with life-altering injuries. Picture: Channel 9

Police allege the trio attacked a number of students after school before they grabbed Benjamin off the street. Picture: Channel 9

Sergeant Mick Ferwerda updated the court on Benjamin’s condition after he was dragged 150m from the vehicle, stating that his “last memory is he was in maths class, that was the day he left school”.

Benjamin was expected to remain in hospital for another four to seven weeks, with doctors on Thursday telling his family “he’s got some permanent brain injury, the full extent of that injury is not known”.

“He’s going to need to wear hearing aids, he’s currently got double vision,” Sgt Ferwerda said.

“It’s too early to say but there has been an indication he may not be able to return to normal schooling.”

It comes as the charged trio, and the girlfriend of the 14-year-old accused boy, face fresh allegations of luring a young girl to a Cranbourne house where she was filmed being beaten and forced to strip off her clothes, on August 12 – three weeks before Benjamin was abducted.

Disturbing videos, found by police on the accused teens’ phones, were played to the court where they depicted the victim, 13, sitting on a couch.

There, she was seen being robbed of her clothes, her jewellery and being repeatedly smashed in the head.

It’s alleged that the two boys, 14 and 15, watched on and filmed the girls robbing and bashing the victim in an attack that Sgt Ferwerda said had left the girl with “a lot of psychological issues”.

Footage played to the court showed the young girl being punched to the head by other girls as they yelled: “Lying c***, f***ing idiot c*** … f***ing b**ch, take off your f***ing shoes.”

“Take it off,” the victim was told, as she stood and removed her pants, leaving her in her underwear.

Benjamin is expected to remain in hospital for another four to seven weeks. Picture: Facebook

14-year-old Benjamin was left with permanent brain damage. Picture: Facebook

In another video, she was told to “give me the f***ing watch” as was ripped from her wrist while she was punched to the head, then another where she was sitting on the couch in her underwear and heared, “you’re not f***ing going anywhere”.

The victim was later filmed standing in the driveway wearing shorts and a T-shirt that she was “handed”, and being “sent on her way”.

Still images from the vision showed the boy, 14, “holding a gold necklace” that was understood to be the victim’s.

Sgt Ferwerda said he was aware of some of the videos “being posted online”.

The victim, who was yet to make a police statement, had suffered “a lot of psychological issues since this event … she is quite in fear of these particular people”, Sgt Ferwerda said.

The policeman told the court that the boy, 15, had “invited the victim to the house (and) paid for her Uber to get there”.

The boy faces three fresh charges over the alleged attack, including unlawful assault, stealing and robbery of the girl’s Baby-G watch, gold necklace, silver Gucci necklace, Nike shoes, Nike tracksuit pants, Nike jumper and a Dior scarf.

A further two charges were also added over separate incidents – for a total of 30 charges – but the court was told the new allegations didn’t change Youth Justice’s view that he remained suitable for bail.

Sgt Ferwerda said on the day the accused boy, 15, was arrested by police in Mentone, his mother and her boyfriend were also arrested and taken into custody.

He said that mother and son had been sleeping in a car, in which keys for a stolen BMW were discovered.

The magistrate said the attacks had led to “significant” consequences for the alleged victims.

The policeman had spoken to the principal of his school, who said that he had previously missed a lot of school.

Sgt Ferwerda raised concerns that if bailed to live with his older sister, he wouldn’t be properly supervised and wouldn’t attend school.

“No one seems to have any influence over (him),” he said.

The magistrate said that the 15-year-old faced “a number of serious allegations” that had led to “significant” consequences for the alleged victims, with “schoolchildren being threatened with machetes”, the 13-year-old girl left “traumatised” and Benjamin suffering “potentially life-altering injuries”.

Her Honour noted that the accused boy had been in custody for 28 days and was moved wings in the youth justice centre because “it appears he’s also been bullied by more experienced remandees”.

Despite concerns raised, she said the risks the boy presented to the community could be met with “strict conditions”.

Those conditions included living with this sister, attending school, abiding by a curfew, not associating with his co-accused– not driving a car or possessing weapons.

He was expected to be bailed from a youth justice centre on Friday afternoon, and was ordered to return to a children’s court next month.

His co-accused mate, 14, remains in custody and will apply for bail next week.

The girl, also 14, has already been bailed.

Texts read to the court

Messages from a girl, 14, charged with being the driver of the car that abducted Benjamin.

These texts were sent to her friend, who was also the girlfriend of her co-accused, a 14-year-old boy.

— “Me and (the 14-year-old boy) could be getting done for attempted murder or murder,” she texted on September 5, the day after Benjamin was attacked.

— “We blew the car up … in Dandy … last night.”

—“(The 14-year-old boy) stabbed him and I was the one driving and (the 15-year-old boy) only bashed him.”

— “But me and (the 14-year-old boy) could get done for murder if he ends up dying.”

— “We didn’t force him in the car, he wouldn’t let go of (the 15-year-old boy) when we were driving then he fell out of the car.”

— “I know it’s f***ed, I have f***ing problems now, I can’t sleep … What if I killed him? He’s in a coma.”