Get me out of this place
Teen’s foul-mouthed tirade at magistrate
A TEENAGER locked up on remand at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre has lambasted the prison in the middle of a bail application.
It began with the 17-yearold interrupting Magistrate Viviana Keegan with “listen judge”, followed by a tirade about “s--t” being on his bed and walls, before offering to swap places with Ms Keegan.
The teenager was arrested over the alleged violent armed robbery of a Nightowl store in Currajong on Saturday night.
When arrested on Tuesday he was charged with deprivation of liberty, robbery and stealing.
Towards the end of his bail application in Townsville Children’s Court yesterday the teen, who appeared via videolink from the detention centre and cannot be identified for legal reasons, interrupted Ms Keegan before launching into his off-the-cuff review.
“I don’t want to be here in this f---ed up, stinking place, with f---ing other men s--tting on my f---ing bed,” he said.
“I am going to play up if you f---ing leave me in this place.
“It is disgusting in here, there is … s--t on the walls.
“I want to get the f--- out of here. You come here, can I change places with you.
“If I stay in here, I am going to come back out and do more.
“I want to be today please.”
The Bulletin was granted permission to report on the proceedings, which are normally closed to media and the public.
Police allege the teen entered the Nightowl about 11.35pm on Saturday and threatened the male attendant before he demanded the worker open a locked office door.
Once inside the room, the teen allegedly grabbed a large kitchen knife and threatened the employee to turn the lights off and open the till.
Police say the employee hit the panic button and grabbed a billy club to defend himself. f---ing out
The teen allegedly rushed toward him and said, “Do you want to get killed?” before fleeing with $400.
Ms Keegan said that, during his interview with police, the teen said he was drunk and he had not planned to rob the store. She said the alleged offending had been captured by CCTV.
“You said you felt bad for the worker when he began to cry,” she said.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service lawyer Mikaela Ward asked the court to grant the teen bail on the grounds that his risk to the community could be mitigated by strict curfew and residential conditions including a ban on alcohol.
“There is scope for other penalties to be imposed on my client other than a term of custody,” Ms Ward said.
“Further, it is likely that he would spend longer in custody awaiting indictment … than he would on any sentence.”
Ms Ward said the teen was engaged with the education system, had held a part-time job and had a Bluecard.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Lawson opposed the application for bail.
She said the teen was before the court three months ago for violent offending involving a weapon and was now back for other “extremely serious” offending. She said that despite the teen’s limited criminal history, his previous offending showed he had a “propensity for violence and the use of weapons” and he posed a risk to the community.
Ms Keegan denied the application for bail. “When you say to me, ‘If I come back out, I will do more,’ they might be words of anger but you are clearly telling me you will do more offences,” she said.
The teen was remanded in custody and can reapply for bail in December.
A Department of Youth Justice spokesman said professional cleaners operated daily to keep the facility clean and staff checked that rooms remained clean.