3 months ago
21
A Perth teenager who coward-punched a fellow student at an Ellenbrook shopping centre has avoided jail time, with the victim’s father labelling the sentence as ‘a slap in the face’.
The 14-year-old victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was at Ellenbrook Central with friends in April when he was struck from behind.
The 15-year-old boy has avoided jail time.Credit: 9News Perth
The force of the punch caused him to hit the floor face first where he remained motionless for 20 seconds.
The teenager was bleeding heavily from his mouth as he tried to get to his feet.
His attacker, 15, was confronted by shoppers and fled the scene.
He later told police that the victim had him suspended from school, and he had told him the next time he saw him, “it was on”.
The court heard three weeks before the shopping centre incident, the victim was confronted by the attacker in the bathroom at Aveley Secondary College where both boys were students.
The younger teen was grabbed and asked for a vape and the incident resulted in the attacker being suspended for two days.
Prosecutor Rachel Hamilton described the shopping centre attack as, “A strike that came from behind – the accused had run at the victim,” labelling it as an unimpeded, roundhouse king hit.
She said it was by mere fortune it did not result in a death.
Defence Lawyer Asma Khan said her client was “scared when the victim hit the ground” and he had not anticipated it would happen.
“That was a very, very scary moment for him as well,” she said.
The victim’s jaw was broken in two places, and he required emergency treatment to insert metal plates and screws.
He also suffered bleeding to the brain and seizures and is still at risk of being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
Magistrate Kim Farmer said the attacker, who had no criminal record and pleaded guilty to acts intended to cause harm or endanger the life, health or safety of any person had walked away with a sense of bravado.
“You walk away really like, ‘job done’ and join your friends,” she said.
She said a letter he had written to the court indicated his remorse was genuine.
She handed him a six-month suspended sentence with supervision saying it would send a message to young people that there will be consequences for offending of this nature.
The teenager was also handed a two-year-violence restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
The 15-year-old boy has avoided jail time.Credit: 9News Perth
The victim’s father told 9 News Perth the sentence was not harsh enough.
“The Magistrate made clear she was looking at sending a message to the community and society that violence and this type of anti-social behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated, but then to give him a slap on the wrist is really a slap in the face of everybody,” he said.
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