40 YOUTHS INVOLVED IN COOMERA TRAIN STATION ‘KNIFE FIGHT’

POLICE are investigating after two groups of teens clashed at a Gold Coast train station in a “disturbance” reportedly involving knives.

One teenager who went to Gold Coast University Hospital with minor injuries is not making a complaint, while a boy, 14, has been charged with public nuisance offences.

Police were called to Coomera Station about 3.30pm on Thursday after reports of a disturbance involving juveniles carrying knives.

When police arrived they spoke with a number of youths but no weapons were spotted by officers.

It’s understood mobile phone footage of the altercation between the groups shows at least one teen carrying a knife. Police are in the process of obtaining mobile phone footage and CCTV from the train station.

Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman confirmed about 40 youths were involved.

He said the connection between the groups was not known.

“It’s extremely disturbing, from my perspective, to see youths armed with knives attending or being involved in fights or disturbances such as this,” he said.

Superintendent Wildman said the clash was “isolated in nature”. Further charges have not been ruled out.

The Gold Coast is trialling a metal detecting wand trial in party precincts to prevent knife crime after a spate of stabbing deaths, including 17year-old Jack Beasley.

During a committee reviewing proposed youth justice laws this year, Jack’s mother, Belinda Beasley, called for the wanding trial to be expanded to transport hubs.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon said he was horrified by the details.

He said expanding the trial outside of the safe-night precincts to transport hubs and other areas “makes sense”.

“It isn’t just about the safenight precincts et cetera that these are happening. These young folks are not fools. Well, they are in one respect, but in another respect they’re smart enough to realise that the wanding trial is going on in those precincts, so they stay away, or they do their crime further away from there.

“If officers more broadly across the Gold Coast … were able to use wands as part of the trial then that would make a whole lot of sense to me.”

Police are calling for anyone with footage, or information to come forward.