Teenager pleads guilty to role in violent glassing at Noosa Main Beach on New Year’s Eve

A teenager has been convicted for his role in a violent glassing at a Noosa beach on New Year’s Eve, which left a boy with sickening wounds to his face.

A teenager has pleaded guilty to his role in a violent glassing at Noosa’s Main Beach on New Year’s Eve, 2022. Picture: Lachie Millard

A 15-year-old suffered grisly wounds to his face at the hands of another teenager following a fight between a group of youths at Noosa’s Main Beach on New Year’s Eve.

The Children’s Court in Maroochydore recently heard of the horror injuries the 15-year-old boy suffered at the hands of another boy who was 17 at the time and now 19 and his co-accused on December 31, 2022 after the former pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding.

Court documents state the offender was with a group of other young people about 10.40pm at Noosa’s Main Beach when they became involved in an unnecessary confrontation with another group of youths.

The court heard during the fight, the offender’s co-accused allegedly caused a small cut to the 15-year-old male victim with a broken glass bottle.

At some point, the offender got hold of the broken bottle himself and used it to cause “serious injuries” to the victim.

Judge Glen Cash said the 15-year-old boy suffered a deep, 4cm wound to the left side of his face between his nostril and top lip.

There was also a shorter wound on his left cheek, another on his left ear and one more on his scalp behind his ear.

On top of this, the court heard the victim suffered a cheekbone fracture.

The glassing left the 15-year-old victim with serious facial injuries. Picture: Lachie Millard

The offender also used the broken glass bottle to cause a large wound across the back of the victim's left hand and one to his thumb.

He fled the scene along with his co-accused however he was arrested by police nearby.

In a victim impact statement by the boy’s mother, she spoke of the obvious distress the glassing had on her, her son and their family.

She said it had changed her son’s behaviour.

Judge Cash told the court the now 19-year-old had been previously placed on probation orders for the armed robbery of an Uber driver and a wounding of another juvenile with a knife.

He said the teenager was on bail for the Noosa glassing when he also stabbed another man with a “large knife” during an argument at an apartment complex.

He was 18-years-old at the time and was sentenced in the adult District Court to six years’ jail after pleading guilty.

He will be eligible for parole after serving two years.

The fight took place near the Noosa Surf Club. Picture: Lachie Millard

Judge Cash said the teenager came from an ordinary childhood with a supportive family, however he chose to hang with troubled youth and fell into a life of substance abuse and violent crime.

He said even though the teenager was now 19-years-old, he had to be sentenced as if he was a still a juvenile as he committed the offences while he was under 18.

He also said detention was the only option for the crimes the teenager had committed, and opted to record a conviction due to the violent offences on his juvenile and criminal history.

Despite legislation favouring non convictions for youth, Judge Cash said the need to protect the community outweighed those needs.

The teenager was sentenced to 18 months of detention, but will be released after serving half of the time.

Originally published as Teenager pleads guilty to role in violent glassing at Noosa Main Beach on New Year’s Eve