Call to cover rail hubs in wanding trial

THE mother of slain teen Jack Beasley wants transport hubs to be included in a random metal detector trial to reduce knife crime.

The grieving mother also hit back at suggestions the measure without safeguards would be intrusive, saying if they were not carrying knives they would have nothing to worry about.

Belinda Beasley told a committee at Novotel Surfers Paradise on Friday, just 100m from where her son was killed, that the trial should be rolled out at transport hubs as well as safe-night precincts.

“It’s that access (to the Gold Coast through the rail network) and maybe if there was a deterrent, it would stop a lot of these things,” said Mrs Beasley, of the Jack Beasley Foundation.

The state government has proposed using metal detectors to search for knives without a warrant within the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach safenight precincts.

The Bulletin on Thursday reported concerns expressed by the state’s top legal bodies – the Queensland Law Society

and the Barristers Association of Queensland – who fear the powers will be used arbitrarily.

Mrs Beasley was also asked about her thoughts to whether the trial would be intrusive to young people without safeguards.

“I personally and I’m sure the majority of people, if you are not carrying a knife, you’ve got no worries. You shouldn’t be worried about being wanded.” Mrs Beasley said.

“It’s not going to physically touch you, its on the outside. If you’re not carrying anything, or doing anything illegal, you shouldn’t have a worry. And if you’re not being suspicious they’re not going to be wanting to search you.”

Jack Beasley, 17, died after a confrontation in the middle of Surfers Paradise on December 13, 2019.

Five teens aged from 15 to 18 have been charged with murder and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court next week.

Earlier on Friday, experienced Gold Coast lawyer Bill Potts, director of Potts Lawyers, told the committee that as a safeguard senior officers should supervise the wanding.