A boy has pleaded guilty after going on a rampage and attempting to mow down pedestrians on AFL Grand Final Day.
The 15-year-old admitted to charges after the incident outside Flinders Street Station in Melbourne’s CBD last September.
Footage of the moment of the teen’s dramatic arrest when police swooped in has now been released.
Taken down: The boy wearing full combat gear is pinned down by officers in Melbourne’s CBD
Moments earlier he had caused terror outside Flinders Street station and then emerged in all black from the car
He appeared at the Children’s Court in Melbourne on Thursday to face charges for the 30-minutes of terror he caused when he drove at pedestrians and cyclists early in the morning of September 30, the Herald Sun reports.
The vision shows the youngster climb out of the stolen green Toyota Rav4 on Swanston Street outside the station clad in full combat gear.
He was armed with a knife and a bicycle pump as police started to close in on him.
The video captured on a nearby traffic camera shows the boy walking up and down in the middle of the interchange at Flinders and Swanston streets at 6.43am.
The court heard the child had ignored police orders to drop the weapons but when a police officer released pepper spray at him, he charged.
The officer fell backwards on to tram tracks and two more officers advanced pinning the boy to the ground after he was tasered.
The court was told the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was deaf and mute and had needs which were only raised after the incident.
Police swoop in on the teenager as he charges at an officer causing him to fall on the tram tracks
He was isolated at home, neglected and was not getting enough food, according to the Herald Sun.
Earlier, CCTV had captured the car being driven out of control from his eastern suburb home towards the city.
The prosecution dropped eight more serious charges, including two of attempted murder, after his mental situation was brought to light.
Mark Gibson, prosecuting, said the incident was not terror-related, according to the newspaper.
Officers had circled around the teen trying to get him to drop his weapons – a knife and a bicycle pump
Instead he pleaded guilty to two charges of reckless conduct endangering life and reckless conduct endangering persons, assault on an emergency worker and unlicensed driving.
Judge Amanda Chambers indicated she was not looking at imposing a custodial detention order despite ‘very serious offending that placed the community in fear’.
Eye-witnesses at the time said it appeared the boy appeared to be ‘on a mission to kill’.
The area was locked down just hours before the AFL Grand Final last September
Eye-witnesses at the time said it appeared the boy appeared to be ‘on a mission to kill’
Another described him trying to drive on to the footpath to hit people and then attempting to make his way into Federation Square.
Mr Gibson praised the actions of police during the harrowing moments when they it was unclear who or what they were responding to.
He said: ‘They didn’t know at that time, what was in the backpack … whether it contained an improvised explosive device or incendiary weapon.
The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is due to be sentenced later this month
The prosecution dropped eight more serious charges, including two of attempted murder
‘But for their approach, the end result may have been a lot different.’
He added the officers had used ‘appropriate restraint and tremendous bravery’.
The boy will be sentenced on March 14.