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A teenager charged over the alleged murder of an 18-year-old man at Weston skatepark had rap lyrics on his phone about knives and stabbing people “for fun”, prosecutors say. The 16-year-old, who The Canberra Times cannot legally name, fronted the ACT Children’s Court on Monday via audio-visual link from the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. Magistrate Louise Taylor granted him bail on strict conditions – which she suppressed – and the 16-year-old’s barrister Ken Archer argued prosecutors had a weak case against his client. Mr Archer indicated the boy would plead not guilty to four charges, including murder and affray. Another two assault charges related to a separate incident, which police said happened at the boy’s school even when he knew he was a murder suspect. A second boy charged over the Weston skatepark incident, aged 17, also fronted court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to affray. Mr Archer said the 17-year-old was the son of a police officer. He was granted bail on October 28. Police claimed the 16-year-old stabbed the 18-year-old man six times on September 27, but documents tendered to the court said the alleged murderer was not even one of the people who had initially agreed to fight that night. In fact, officers said it was one of the alleged murderer’s friends who agreed to fight a different 16-year-old at the Weston skatepark. The 16-year-old who agreed to fight got his 18-year-old cousin to drive him and two others there. The alleged murderer allegedly travelled with his friend to Weston skatepark along with the 17-year-old accused of affray. The 17-year-old allegedly texted another teenager to request “back up” at the fight “in case things went south”. The teenager who’d been sent the text allegedly responded by recruiting two others to come with him to Weston. It’s there police say the alleged murderer and his friend immediately approached the 16-year-old and engaged in a physical altercation with him, while the three who’d been called upon grabbed the 18-year-old driver from his car. One of the 18-year-old’s passengers allegedly pulled out a machete and the three people ran off, apparently to arm themselves with a rake, a shovel and a pick axe, before they returned and damaged the man’s car. The 18-year-old was soon after found dead near the car, and one of the trio told police the alleged murderer had later said, “I shanked him”. The 16-year-old who initially agreed to the fight was hospitalised and treated for two stab wounds – one to the back and one to the buttock – but police said he couldn’t identify his attacker. READ MORE: Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen conceded this on Monday, but she said the evidence suggested the alleged murderer was the person responsible for the 18-year-old’s death. She said the accused teenager clearly had an interest in knives, which was demonstrated by “notes” containing rap lyrics or poems that police found on his phone. One talked about stabbing people for fun, she said, while another allegedly said, “Blade to your mum but I ain’t no dentist”, and another said, “Been holding a shiv since age 13”. Ms Christensen said the 16-year-old’s mother raised concerns with police about his behaviour back in July, and, in October last year, his father told him, “I want that weapon”, and, “It must be given to the police.” She said a photo taken on August 10 showed the 16-year-old with a knife sticking out of his pants, and DNA evidence linked blood stains on the teenager’s pants to the deceased 18-year-old. But Ms Taylor said the DNA evidence needed to be considered in the context of many people being at the skatepark that night. She said the lyrics about knives weren’t outside the scope of interest for a 15- or 16-year-old who liked rap music, and police hadn’t found the knife used to stab the 18-year-old – a perhaps “equivocal” element in the case. The magistrate bailed the 16-year-old, and the 17-year-old accused of affray, to appear in court again on February 22.
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A teenager charged over the alleged murder of an 18-year-old man at Weston skatepark had rap lyrics on his phone about knives and stabbing people “for fun”, prosecutors say.
The 16-year-old, who The Canberra Times cannot legally name, fronted the ACT Children’s Court on Monday via audio-visual link from the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
Magistrate Louise Taylor granted him bail on strict conditions – which she suppressed – and the 16-year-old’s barrister Ken Archer argued prosecutors had a weak case against his client.
Mr Archer indicated the boy would plead not guilty to four charges, including murder and affray. Another two assault charges related to a separate incident, which police said happened at the boy’s school even when he knew he was a murder suspect.
A second boy charged over the Weston skatepark incident, aged 17, also fronted court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to affray.
Police claimed the 16-year-old stabbed the 18-year-old man six times on September 27, but documents tendered to the court said the alleged murderer was not even one of the people who had initially agreed to fight that night.
In fact, officers said it was one of the alleged murderer’s friends who agreed to fight a different 16-year-old at the Weston skatepark.
The 16-year-old who agreed to fight got his 18-year-old cousin to drive him and two others there. The alleged murderer allegedly travelled with his friend to Weston skatepark along with the 17-year-old accused of affray.
The 17-year-old allegedly texted another teenager to request “back up” at the fight “in case things went south”. The teenager who’d been sent the text allegedly responded by recruiting two others to come with him to Weston.
It’s there police say the alleged murderer and his friend immediately approached the 16-year-old and engaged in a physical altercation with him, while the three who’d been called upon grabbed the 18-year-old driver from his car.
One of the 18-year-old’s passengers allegedly pulled out a machete and the three people ran off, apparently to arm themselves with a rake, a shovel and a pick axe, before they returned and damaged the man’s car.
The 18-year-old was soon after found dead near the car, and one of the trio told police the alleged murderer had later said, “I shanked him”.
The 16-year-old who initially agreed to the fight was hospitalised and treated for two stab wounds – one to the back and one to the buttock – but police said he couldn’t identify his attacker.
Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen conceded this on Monday, but she said the evidence suggested the alleged murderer was the person responsible for the 18-year-old’s death.
She said the accused teenager clearly had an interest in knives, which was demonstrated by “notes” containing rap lyrics or poems that police found on his phone.
One talked about stabbing people for fun, she said, while another allegedly said, “Blade to your mum but I ain’t no dentist”, and another said, “Been holding a shiv since age 13”.
Ms Christensen said the 16-year-old’s mother raised concerns with police about his behaviour back in July, and, in October last year, his father told him, “I want that weapon”, and, “It must be given to the police.”
She said a photo taken on August 10 showed the 16-year-old with a knife sticking out of his pants, and DNA evidence linked blood stains on the teenager’s pants to the deceased 18-year-old.
But Ms Taylor said the DNA evidence needed to be considered in the context of many people being at the skatepark that night.
She said the lyrics about knives weren’t outside the scope of interest for a 15- or 16-year-old who liked rap music, and police hadn’t found the knife used to stab the 18-year-old – a perhaps “equivocal” element in the case.
The magistrate bailed the 16-year-old, and the 17-year-old accused of affray, to appear in court again on February 22.
