Boy, 13, pleads guilty to his role in eight-child pack beating and robbery of man at Cairns Central

A young boy living in the resi care system has pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company with violence over his role in a brutal and protracted attack at Cairns Central Shopping Centre.

A 13-year-old boy has been sentenced to a year of probation for his part in a violent attack and robbery on a 47-year-old man involving eight children, aged 12-15, which left him with a broken wrist.

A young boy living in the resi care system has pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company with violence over his role in a brutal and protracted attack at Cairns Central Shopping Centre.

The boy, who is now 13 and cannot be named, was 12 at the time of the crime.

He has been in detention for more than 130 days, the court was told, and has 70 past convictions, including at least four for burglary, three for carrying a knife in public, wilful damage and multiple breaches of bail.

Crown prosecutor Annica Fritz said the armed robbery was the boy’s first offence in which he had used actual physical violence.

“It is quite an escalation for someone so young,” Ms Fritz said.

The boy, who has 70 prior criminal convictions, has been sentenced to graffiti removal orders, restorative justice orders and probation in the past

She told the court a group of eight children, aged between 12 and 15, approached the man, 47, on the evening of September 18, 2024, outside the McLeod Street shopping centre, calling him names, then following him into the carpark.

The boy began throwing rocks at the man and chased him inside the centre with the other children, who punched and pushed him and assaulted him with a “wet floor” sign.

Ms Fritz said the children took the man’s bag, containing his phone and wallet, and fled.

Parts of the attack were caught on closed CCTV cameras, she said.

Ms Fritz said the man was treated in hospital for a broken left wrist, bruising, scratches and mild concussion.

Defence barrister James Sheridan said the young boy, who had been taken into care in 2024, had experienced childhood neglect, fallen in with a negative peer group and was “easily led”.

Mr Sheridan said substance abuse within the boy’s family had made life challenging for him, as had the recent death of a very close relative.

He said the boy described his crime as “stupid” and said he “felt bad” for the victim.

“He is positive about re-engaging with school, and has done some counselling with a youth service,” he said.

Defence Barrister James Sheridan said the boy had suffered neglect and many challenges in his short lifetime and acknowledged his crime was “stupid”.

Judge Dean Morzone accepted the boy was sorry for what he had done and encouraged him to distance himself from his “so-called friends”.

The court was told the boy was to be sentenced under the new regime of the Youth Justice Act, which has removed detention as a last resort.

Judge Morzone sentenced him to one year probation, questioning the effect of the change.

“Detention is removed as a last resort … and it remains a requirement (in the Act) to consider all other suitable penalties, so it is just window dressing really,” Judge Morzone said.

“I’m sad that you’ve been in detention so much and you haven’t had much of a chance to straighten your life out … I’m even more sad that, because of your choices, you haven’t been outside when your (family member) passed away … but all these things come down to your choices.” Judge Morzone said.

“You life at this young age has been a mess and the people who are supposed to look after you have let you down and let themselves down.”

“You have taken responsibility now.”

Originally published as Boy, 13, pleads guilty to his role in eight-child pack beating and robbery of man at Cairns Central