Fake gun used to terrorise taxi driver

A 15-year-old accused of waving a fake gun at a taxi driver while on three counts of bail has again been granted bail.

A court heard the teen got into an argument with the driver when asked to pay his fare after arriving in the Geelong mall on Saturday about 7.30pm.

The incident was less than a week after the boy was put on bail for another matter, a court heard.

The teen waved the fake gun, which the driver believed was real, above his head calling the driver a paedophile, a police prosecutor said.

The boy’s lawyer said he was given the toy gun minutes before the incident and put it down his pants.

Another fake gun was also pointed at the driver from about 1.5m away for five seconds by a friend of the boy, the court heard.

That teen was granted bail, and banned from the Geelong CBD. The court heard the driver ran to his taxi after the guns were pointed at him and drove to a police station to immediately report the incident.

The teen who allegedly waved the gun is charged with making threats to kill, assault with a weapon, being a nonprohibited person using an imitation firearm and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

He was granted bail after his arrest on Saturday night.

The court also heard he was put on bail on January 29, February 27 and March 29 before facing court on Monday.

A magistrate put the boy on an 8pm to 8am curfew, and ordered him to live at a nominated address.

“You are on thin ice,” the magistrate told the boy.

“We have got a pandemic and he is unlikely to get a term of imprisonment.”

The teen was banned from the Geelong CBD, and ordered not to associate with his coaccused. He will return to court in June.