By Alex Crowe
A teenage boy has been remanded in custody over the abduction and armed robbery of a schoolboy after a Melbourne court heard he was already out on bail for unrelated offences at the time of the incident.
Police charged the 14-year-old with multiple offences, including theft of a vehicle and intentionally causing serious injury, after his arrest on Thursday. He is expected to apply for bail on the new charges at a later date.
Police are investigating after a teenager was seriously injured in an attack in south-east Melbourne earlier this week.Credit: Nine News
The charges relate to an attack on a 14-year-old Glen Eira College student who was allegedly forced into an SUV at Glen Huntly in Melbourne’s south-east on Monday. He had items stolen and was then ejected from the moving vehicle.
The court heard on Friday that the teenager charged over the incident had been on supervised bail for undisclosed offences at the time.
The teenager has been accused of stealing goods, including a Volkswagen valued at more than $55,000, several mobile phones, an electric scooter and multiple sets of keys, documents submitted to the court revealed.
He has also been accused of possessing a machete and methamphetamine, pulling a victim into a vehicle and travelling at a speed that placed the victim in danger of death.
The boy will undergo an assessment before a hearing scheduled for a Melbourne children’s court this month.
A youth justice officer told the court on Friday that ensuring the appropriate support was in place was a priority given the nature of the charges and the seriousness of the offences.
Victoria Police earlier Friday said the teenager was facing more than 30 new charges after his arrest in Frankston this week.
Police had earlier revealed the victim was taken to Royal Children’s Hospital with what they described as “life-altering” injuries. He remained in hospital in a stable condition on Friday.
Victoria Police Inspector Scott Dwyer said police believe the teenager was the principal offender in the alleged attack. He said police believed they had identified everyone else involved and more arrests were likely.
A representative for the police told a Melbourne children’s court on Friday that the investigation was ongoing.
Investigators will examine whether the alleged abduction is linked to other incidents recently reported in south-east of Melbourne, including the armed robbery of four students on Monday.
The teen was remanded in custody to appear at a children’s court at a later date.
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