Teen accused of Glen Eira schoolboy abduction allegedly went on all-night crime spree

A youth accused of trying to abduct a Glen Eira schoolboy allegedly went on an overnight crime spree just hours after pleading guilty to similar offending.

Benjamin Phikhohpoom suffered permanent brain damage after he was adducted while walking home from school last September. Picture: David Caird

A youth accused of trying to abduct a schoolboy – leaving him with life-altering injuries – allegedly went on an all-night crime spree just hours after admitting in court to similar offending.

Glen Eira College student Benjamin Phikhohpoom suffered permanent brain damage and spent a week in a coma when a gang of youths bundled him into a stolen car before he was flung to the ground at high speed as he walked home from school in September last year.

One of the youths allegedly involved in the horror incident, a 15-year-old boy, was on Wednesday refused bail by a children’s court magistrate, as he faced separate charges over an alleged overnight crime spree involving several car thefts, ramming a police car and driving at high speeds.

Astonishingly, the court heard the alleged offending occurred in the early hours of June 20 this year while the boy was on bail and just hours after he pleaded guilty to a raft of similar charges.

Benjamin was abducted and assaulted near his school. Picture: 10 news

He suffered permanent brain damage and spent a week in a coma after the attack. Picture: 10 news

In refusing bail, the magistrate accepted there were exceptional circumstances in the boy’s case, such as an intellectual disability, but he posed an unacceptable risk of reoffending.

“There’s certainly a history of allegations being made of high risk offending while subject to youth justice bail,” she said.

“The number of ongoing allegations are alarming.”

On June 20, the boy and four co-accused allegedly used stolen key cards to access gyms in Elsternwick, Armadale, Ferntree Gully, Bayswater, West Melbourne and Cheltenham between 12.50am and 8am.

The group allegedly stole car keys from unlocked lockers before taking four vehicles from unsuspecting gym-goers.

The boy was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen car which was travelling at 180km/h in an 80km/h zone while he was filmed by one of his co-accused.

Police spotted the allegedly stolen car in Moorabbin about 10am and tracked it to Cheltenham where it was found parked on Farm Rd.

Benjamin with his parents Kirati Phikhohpoom and Wannisa Srichan. Picture: David Caird

The boy and three of his co-accused were inside a milk bar before they allegedly jumped in the car and rammed the police vehicle at low speed to get away.

The incident was recorded by one of the alleged offenders on a phone and on a dashcam from a nearby garbage truck which was played to the court.

In one of the videos, a co-offender was heard encouraging the boy to drive away.

The boy allegedly ran a red light and headed south on Warrigal Rd before the car was dumped in Langwarrin and the youths fled on foot.

They were arrested at a nearby shopping centre later that morning.

The boy is facing charges including recklessly exposing emergency workers to risk and motor vehicle theft.

The court heard the boy had been previously remanded and bailed before he went on to commit further offending.

His lawyer said that did not mean his client did not deserve a third chance.

But the magistrate refused saying she could not see any alternative than to remand him in custody.

The court heard Youth Justice also did not recommend the boy for supervised bail.

The boy faced a children’s court last week on separate charges which he pleaded guilty to.

Those charges related to a crime spree that spanned 10 months between May last year and March this year and involved several car thefts and a police chase.

The boy has not yet entered pleas to his most serious charges related to Benjamin, which include intentionally causing serious injury and reckless conduct endangering life.

He will return to court later this year.