Teen allegedly involved in Northland machete brawl on four sets of bail

Disturbing footage was found on the phone of a teen gang member allegedly involved in the machete brawl at Northland shopping centre, as a court heard the 15-year-old was already on four counts of bail.

Disturbing footage of a stabbing and knifepoint robbery was allegedly found on the phone of a teenager arrested over a machete brawl at Northland shopping centre.

The 15-year-old boy, who can’t be named due to his age, was refused bail in a children’s court on Friday where it was revealed he was already on four counts of bail for charges including aggravated carjacking, armed robbery, assault, use of a weapon and vehicle theft.

Opposing bail, a prosecutor said the teen was a member of a youth gang known as the 8rs and footage predating the Northland brawl was found on his phone allegedly showing a male being repeatedly stabbed and another victim with two knives held to their throat during a robbery.

He was also allegedly pictured posing with knives and machetes, with the prosecutor saying the teen had been given several opportunities to change his behaviour but continued to reoffend.

“The contents of the phone are simply horrifying,” he said.

He said the Northland incident was “seriously concerning” and occurred after the teen’s group looked at the rival gang the “wrong way” during a chance encounter at the Preston shopping centre on Sunday afternoon.

The boy allegedly put on a ski mask before tensions escalated and the groups moved outside, where a wild brawl erupted.

Police said the groups had arranged to meet at the centre to fight. Picture: Supplied

The teen was allegedly the first to draw a machete from his pants, with others in his group following suit.

The violence spilt into an underground car park, where members of both gangs allegedly punched, kicked and struck each other with blades.

The teen’s group then allegedly ran back inside to the food court area, with their opponents giving chase before he turned and slashed one of his pursuers in the head with a machete.

He was restrained by shoppers until police arrived, while the other group was escorted outside by security.

Some of the teen’s associates allegedly fled in a vehicle.

The prosecutor said the incident took place in front of horrified shoppers including children, some of whom were now too afraid to go to school.

“The scenes of sheer terror clearly impacted the community to an incredible extent,” he said.

In his submissions, the boy’s lawyer argued his client only carried the machete for self-defence and there was no evidence the rival gangs planned the encounter.

He said the community was on “high alert” following the Bondi Junction stabbing rampage, but stressed the two incidents were not comparable.

Shoppers were barricaded inside as the chaos unfolded. Picture: Josie Hayden

The teen was also due to fly overseas next week to attend his grandmother’s 80th birthday, with the defence proposing he be picked up by family and taken directly to the airport if he were bailed, before returning to court for judicial monitoring upon his return.

“He is regretful of what he did, he wants a chance to prove that by compliance with bail conditions,” he said.

It was also his first time in custody which had been a wake-up call, he said.

The lawyer conceded his client had breached previous bail conditions which banned him from carrying a weapon or associating with one of his co-accused.

The magistrate refused bail, saying the teen brought and used a machete in public and the incident involved a “high level of aggression and violence”.

“The risk of reoffending in my view is too high,” he said.

The boy waved to his mother seated in court as he was led out of the dock.

He is facing eight charges including affray, weapon and bail offences and will return to court next month.

All of the youths allegedly involved in the brawl have now been arrested, but the court heard they are refusing to co-operate with police.