Outburst as girl, 14, denied bail

A TEENAGE girl who broke down after being denied bail has told a Townsville court it “wasn’t fair” she had to remain behind bars.

The girl, 14, appeared via videolink from the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville Magistrates Court on Thursday, and was supported by her mother in the public gallery.

The girl faces a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm, which springs from an alleged assault involving “gratuitous violence” of a young person walking home during daylight hours.

The court was told the girl had been subject to a 7pm-7am curfew at the time of the alleged offence, which was said to have occurred at 4pm – outside her imposed curfew hours.

The prosecution opposed the bail application and submitted “nothing less” than a 24-hour curfew would mitigate the risk of the girl reoffending.

Defence lawyer Mikaila Ward told Magistrate Ross Mack detention was a matter of “last resort”, and the girl should not be remanded unless the risk of harm to the community could be mitigated.

Ms Ward said the girl’s mother was a stay-at-home mum and could provide supervision, but Mr Mack said the girl had already offended despite her curfew and her mother.

Mr Mack said the alleged offence was “sickening” and descended into “gratuitous violence”.

He denied the teenager bail on the basis she was an unacceptable risk of committing another offence that endangered the community.

The girl shouted at the court, asking how long she would be remanded, and said it “wasn’t fair” she had to stay in custody. The girl’s mother said she was “very disappointed” in her and until she could “prove” herself worthy of being out in the community, she would be considered by the court as a threat of reoffending.

The matter was adjourned to October 28.