Teenager expected to be charged following alleged Hastings Street, Noosa knife attack

A teenager accused of stabbing a British backpacker in a frightening incident on Noosa’s famous Hasting St had failed to appear in court just days earlier, it can be revealed.

A 25-year-old man is in a serious condition after he was allegedly stabbed by a teen along Noosa’s Hasting St.

A teenager accused of stabbing a British backpacker in a frightening incident on Noosa’s famous Hasting St had failed to appear in court just days earlier, it can be revealed.

Police allege a 25-year-old British backpacker was allegedly stabbed by a Sunshine Coast teenager on Hastings St in the early hours of Sunday morning, at a bus stop.

Police claim the man had been in a verbal argument with the 15-year-old which escalated when the teen returned with a bottle and knife and stabbed him in the back and wrist about 4am. 

The Courier-Mail understands that the 15-year-old boy had failed to appear in Maroochydore Childrens Court on July 12 and that the Magistrate rescheduled his appearance, not issuing a failure to appear (FTA) warrant and not extending his bail conditions.

A 15-year-old Sunshine Coast teenager has been arrested following a knife attack in a bus stop on Hastings St.

The horror incident comes just a month after grandfather John Kerr was allegedly murdered on the same street, with locals now saying it’s safer in major cities than their own town.

Sunshine Coast Police Chief Inspector Jason Overland said the backpacker remained in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

He said the teenager was also under police guard in the same hospital being treated for injuries he received during the altercation.

“I understand the bystanders came to the assistance of the 25-year-old British backpacker and detained the young person at the scene until police arrived,” Chief Inspector Overland said. 

He said it was “perfectly normal behaviour” of the bystanders to help when someone was in trouble.

Sunshine Coast Police Chief Inspector Jason Overland. Picture: Letea Cavander

“It’s very difficult to try and say that is the wrong thing to do but I would just urge caution in those situations particularly when there’s weapons involved,” Chief Inspector Overland said.

The 15-year-old is expected to be charged with unlawful wounding. 

Jack’s Law, which was passed earlier this year, gave police powers to search people in party precincts and in some other public places for knives.

Chief Inspector Overland said wanding activities, when police used metal detectors to search people for knives, were happening “regularly” on the Sunshine Coast.

It comes after a Sunday Mail exclusive revealed the grieving families of stabbing victims want the State government to introduce strengthened laws around the sale of knives to teenagers.

Chief Inspector Overland said he was “as concerned” as anyone else living on the Sunshine Coast about knife crime.

“It’s not really a matter that the police service would be involved in, it’s a matter for our law makers, and we’ll just apply the laws as we can,” Inspector Overland said.

Former Queensland Police Service Detective Dan Purdie said: “Unfortunately this is just another example of a Youth Justice System in crisis”. 

“Police have had a gutful. It’s out of control and has to stop,” Mr Purdie said. 

“The Government needs to give the police back the laws and the resources they need to do their job and keep us safe.

“We need real reform and we need it now, otherwise more Queenslanders are going to lose their lives”.

“Premier Palaszczuk can’t keep shifting blame anymore. Magistrates can only enforce the laws of the day and in the days of the Palaszczuk Labor Government it’s just chaos and crisis because weak laws have raised a generation of ‘untouchables’.”

Noosa’s main street was bustling with residents and holiday-makers drinking coffee and eating breakfast on Sunday morning, with some unaware of the incident that had occurred only hours earlier.

Noosa resident Lesley Law says she feels uncomfortable following the violent attacks on Hastings St in the past month. Picture: Letea Cavander

Local Lesley Law, a retiree in her 60s, moved from Sydney about a year ago and said she felt safer in the bigger metropolitan city than on the Noosa region streets.

Her family had gone to the cinema on Saturday night in Noosa Junction and noticed a group of “youths” there after they finished watching the movie.

“We’re discouraged by the lack of police presence in Noosa.”

Ms Law said she would not go out at night in Noosa and had also changed her walking habits since the death of 87-year-old Mr Kerr last month.

But Chief Inspector Overland said the concerns, while valid, were “not supported by the evidence” which showed the Sunshine Coast was a safe place.

Noosa man John Kerr died after an attack near Hastings Street on Sunday.

Mr Kerr suffered deadly injuries on his morning walk at Noosa Heads and Gympie man Ryo Jay Anan, 27, has been charged with his murder and will next appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on July 24.

Chief Inspector Overland said the latest incident and what happened to Mr Kerr were “unpredictable” and there was no link between the two.

Investigations are continuing with police urging anyone with information to contact them via Policelink or Crime Stoppers.

EARLIER

A teenager has been accused of stabbing a British backpacker in a frightening incident on Noosa’s famous Hastings St early on Sunday morning.

The horror incident comes just a month after grandfather John Kerr was allegedly murdered on the same street, with locals now saying it’s safer in major cities than their own town.

Police alleged a 25-year-old British backpacker was allegedly stabbed by a Sunshine Coast teenager on Hastings St in the early hours of Sunday morning, at a bus stop.

Police claim the man had been in a verbal argument with the 15-year-old which escalated when the teen returned with a bottle and knife and stabbed him in the back and wrist.

During a noon press conference, Sunshine Coast Police Chief Inspector Jason Overland said the backpacker remained in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

He said the teenager was also under police guard in the same hospital being treated for injuries he received during the altercation.

“I understand the bystanders came to the assistance of the 25-year-old British backpacker and detained the young person at the scene until police arrived,” Chief Inspector Overland said.

He said it was “perfectly normal behaviour” of the bystanders to help when someone was in trouble.

“It’s very difficult to try and say that is the wrong thing to do but I would just urge caution in those situations particularly when there’s weapons involved,” Chief Inspector Overland said.

The police officer said the teenager was expected to be charged with unlawful wounding.

Noosa’s main street was bustling with residents and holiday-makers drinking coffee and eating breakfast on Sunday morning, with some unaware of the incident that had occurred only hours earlier.

Local Lesley Law, a retiree in her 60s, moved from Sydney about a year ago and said she felt safer in the bigger metropolitan city than on the Noosa region streets.

Her family had gone to the cinema last night in Noosa Junction and noticed a group of “youths” there after they finished watching the movie.

“We came out and it was very almost a threatening environment for us,” she said.

“We’re discouraged by the lack of police presence in Noosa.”

Even in the “big tourist areas” of the NSW capital, Ms Law had never felt unsafe walking around.

The resident, who had also lived in London, said she would not go out at night in Noosa and had also changed her walking habits since the death of 87-year-old Mr Kerr last month.

The grandfather suffered deadly injures on his morning walk at Noosa Heads and Gympie man Ryo Jay Anan, 27, has been charged with his murder.

He will next appear in the Brisbane Magistrate Court on July 24.

Ms Law now walks at Sunshine Beach instead, where she said there was more people in the early morning.

Chief Inspector Overland said the concerns, while valid, were “not supported by the evidence” which showed the Sunshine Coast was a safe place.

“These sorts of events are rare and it is an outlier event and does not happen often,” he said.

“Obviously it concerns us greatly and we do what we can... to make the community safer.”

He said the latest incident and what happened to Mr Kerr were “unpredictable” and there was no link between the two.

Fellow resident Alec Watson, who has lived in Noosa for nearly three years after moving from Brisbane, said tougher laws were needed.

Noosa resident Alec Watson says there must be consequences for bad behaviour following two attacks in Noosa in a month. Picture: Letea Cavander

“It’s disturbing, to think that at a place like this it would happen,” he said.

“But we are noticing living here there are more and more kids wandering around — I’m not saying it’s always kids.”

He said the only solution for the situation was to be “harsher” with people.

Tourists in the street on Sunday morning said they too felt unable to relax or let their teenagers go out at night.

Adelaide’s Jo Scholz had travelled with a group including five teenagers.

Adelaide tourists Rebecca Hodgson, Alicia McRitchie and Jo Scholz are travelling with five teenagers ranging from 14 years old to 16 years old. Picture: Letea Cavander

She was anxious about being “out on the streets past a certain time” and “vigilant” about where the teens went.

“It’s made it a bit more of a higher alert, a little bit more of an anxious holiday,” she said.

“It makes you more aware, and doesn’t make you relax as much.”

Jack’s Law, which was passed earlier this year, gave police powers to search people in party precincts and in some other public places for knives.

Sunshine Coast police search people for knives in the Ocean St party precinct in Maroochydore on April 14. Picture: Letea Cavander

Chief Inspector Overland said wanding activities, when police used metal detectors to search people for knives, was happening “regularly” on the Sunshine Coast.

When questioned about the call from some families of knife crime victims for more firm penalties around the sale and access of knives to young people, the inspector said he was “as concerned” as anyone else living on the Sunshine Coast about knife crime.

“It’s not really a matter that the police service would be involved in, it’s a matter for our law makers, and we’ll just apply the laws as we can,” Inspector Overland said.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the 25-year-old man was transported in a serious condition to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

The investigation into the latest incident continues and anyone with information should contact police via Policelink or Crime Stoppers.

Originally published as Teenager expected to be charged following alleged Hastings Street, Noosa knife attack