Teen handed probation

13-year-old boy with group who robbed woman on street

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy who with a group of young mates robbed a woman on a Goondiwindi street while armed with a replica firearm has been handed probation.

The now 14-year-old had spent 121 days in detention before appearing in the Children’s Court of Queensland at Toowoomba on Monday to plead guilty to armed robbery in company.

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court the boy had been with others in a stolen car driving around the streets of Goondiwindi about 4.30am, March 26, 2022, when they came across the woman walking on the street.

She had been walking to the police station to inquire about a friend, the court was told.

The stolen car had pulled up in front of the woman with one boy getting out and threatening the woman with the replica shotgun, demanding her purse, Ms Petrie said.

The terrified woman handed over her purse and mobile phone and, of concern, the offenders had asked where she lived or was staying before leaving, she said.

As the group drove off in the car, one had yelled “it’s just a fake gun motherf--ker”, she said.

Ms Petrie said the Crown accepted the defendant was not involved in the actual robbery but was a party to the crime and had been an “encouragement by presence”.

According to the woman’s victim impact statement, the incident had a significant effect on her and she had trouble sleeping since, ongoing memories of the event, trouble focusing and was in fear of walking in public, the court heard.

However, the victim woman was prepared to meet with the young offender if a restorative justice order was imposed which could be good for the boy, Ms Petrie said.

Barrister Jess Goldie, for the defendant, told the court her client was not prepared to meet with the victim.

The boy had been brought up by his 35-year-old sister in Goondiwindi, who was on a telephone link to the court for the sentence hearing, but he had stopped going to school though he was attending school each day while in detention, she said.

The boy had some learning difficulties and was receiving speech therapy in detention, the court was told.

From the dock, the boy told the court he wanted to return to school.

Judge Paul Smith told the lad that education was very important and urged him to try and get through to at least Year 10. Noting he had no previous criminal history and that 121 days detention was a long time for a young person, Judge Smith placed the boy on nine months probation with no conviction recorded.