Youth crime Qld: MP’s text emerges in supermarket stabbing

A newly re-elected MP and lawyer has been forced to apologise after a text message emerged in relation to a supermarket stabbing.

Member for Cook David Kempton

• Editor’s view: Long way to go

Newly re-elected MP and lawyer David Kempton has been forced to apologise after it was revealed he referred to the horrific Ipswich supermarket stabbing as a non-event.

It comes as the state government’s second tranche of “adult crime, adult time” laws are set to pass in Parliament this week – adding a further 20 offences to those that will see juveniles receive adult sentences.

On January 13, Claudia Campomayor Watt was working at Coles when a 13-year-old boy allegedly stabbed her with a large knife.

He was later charged with attempted murder.

The government had introduced its first tranche of the making Queensland Safer Laws just one month earlier however, attempted murder was not included in the 13 initial offences.

An RTI (Right to Information) document obtained by the Opposition has now revealed a communication scramble within the government following public and media backlash over the omission of attempted murder.

Pages of communication detail how government spinners framed the mistake, including comments from a media officer in Premier David Crisafulli’s office who said the government had “got off lighter than expected due to a lack of senior journalists at the presser.”

Mr Kempton, the Member for Cook, was also caught sending a text message stating: “No children convicted of attempted murder in last decade. They’re (media) making a big deal over a non-event.”

Mr Kempton was forced to explain his comments on Tuesday.

“I’ve been a lawyer for 40 years,” he said.

“The context of it was in the scheme of the first tranche of offences … it wasn’t a big issue.

“Look if, if what I said has anything to do with that heinous crime of the of the stabbing, I unreservedly apologise for any harm or any injury that might have caused to anybody. It was specifically about that legal issue.”

Mr Kempton conceded that attempted murder did need to be included in the second tranche of laws.

The second round of making Queensland Safer Laws will be passed this week.

Originally published as Youth crime Qld: MP’s text emerges in supermarket stabbing