15-year-old boy granted bail over alleged Aintree aggravated carjackings
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A 15-year-old boy charged over a string of terrifying weekend carjackings, linked to yet another five, and who allegedly texted his co-accused to 'delete messages' while he was being interviewed by police has been bailed.
The boy, who can't be named for legal reasons, applied for bail in a Children's Court on Wednesday after he was arrested on the weekend alongside three other boys, who will face court over the next two days.
The teenager is accused of two separatate carjackings with a machete in Aintree and later in Sunshine on Friday, before he allegedly stole a Toyota Kluger and a Mitsubishi Mirage from Kings Park.
On Saturday, the boy was charged with aggravated carjacking with a machete, destroying a mobile phone, handling stolen goods, driving without a licence and possessing cannabis.
In opposing bail, the prosecution said the boy had been linked to a further five carjackings since his arrest, although at least three of the investigations were at a 'very early' stage of the investigation.
They also alleged the youngster used his mother's phone during his police interview on the weekend and was in contact with his co-accused, where messages such as 'no comment' and 'delete messages' were allegedly exchanged.
First Constable Megan Butler from the Brimbank Divisional Response Unit told the court she was concerned if he was granted bail he would be able to delete key evidence from his social media.
Magistrate Julie O'Donnell questioned why this would be the case as police had seized the boy's mobile and could 'take screenshots' of the alleged social media evidence.
The boy had been refused bail on the weekend, but after a 'much more thorough assessment' by a youth justice worker, he was found suitable for bail.
The court heard the boy went from 'zero to one hundred' in regards to his offending and had never even been cautioned by police until his arrest on the weekend.
He regularly attended school, has a supportive family and also worked part-time.
The youth justice worker who met with the boy in prison said he was 'open, honest and genuine in his answers' and presented 'really positively, polite and engaged well' with his assessment.
The boy's mother and father appeared in court in support of him, and his mother gave evidence she would help enforce her son's bail conditions if the magistrate granted bail.
His mother told the court she had 'hardly eaten and hardly slept since he's been remanded'.
Ms O'Donnell granted the boy bail with strict conditions, including not being able to access his mobile phone or social media.
He will also have a curfew from 9pm to 6am unless he is supervised with a parent and cannot contact his co-accused outside of school time.
'If you breach your bail conditions … You will end up back in custody, and it will be very difficult to grant bail,' Ms O'Donnell told the boy.
He will return to court on May 28 for a further mention.
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On the day of the alleged murder, Mr Rodgers and some of his friends retaliated by smashing a glass door at the Evans' family home. They later met with more friends at a local park and got into the Kluger, with Mr Thompson in the back seat, and became involved in a car pursuit with the Evans' ute. But the details of the car chase, including who brought the gun, remains in dispute. One of the key issues in the trial is whether Keith Evans intended to fire the shotgun. "The heart of this dispute is about the discharge of that firearm and whether it was accidental," his barrister Michelle Fernando said. Her client did not intend to fire the gun or harm Mr Thompson, Ms Fernando told the jury. "Keith Evans is here not because he's committed a crime," she said. "He's here because the Crown alleges he has committed the crime of murder." John Evans' barrister, John Stratton SC, told the jury his client was not aware of the altercation between his son and Mr Rodger's group of friends. "It is his belief that the shot which killed the deceased was the result of a terrible accident," he said. Mr Stratton said John Evans maintained he picked up the gun after one of the men from the Kluger dropped the weapon. Crown prosecutor Adrian Robertson told the jury John Evans has given evidence he knew about the smashed door at their family home. Throughout the trial, occupants of the Kluger would tell the jury they saw Keith Evans point the gun at their vehicle, Mr Roberston said. The jury would hear evidence Keith Evans first pointed the shotgun at the front of the vehicle, before shifting it to fire through the open back window, he said. Mr Robertson said the Crown must prove he deliberately fired at Mr Thompson. "An intentional act, rather than an accidental one," he said. "And of course, that there was no lawful excuse for such a thing." The trial continues on Friday.
