A teenager charged with assaulting a police officer at a Melbourne shopping centre has been arrested for breaching his bail conditions.
The accused was bailed in a Children’s Court hearing on Tuesday on charges of kicking an officer in the head at Highpoint shopping centre on Boxing Day.
Victoria Police confirmed on Thursday night the 17-year-old from Point Cook in Melbourne’s west has been arrested again.
A teenager (left, right) charged with assaulting a police officer at a Melbourne shopping centre has been arrested for breaching his bail conditions
The accused was bailed in a Children’s Court hearing on Tuesday on charges of kicking an officer (pictured) in the head at Highpoint shopping centre on Boxing Day
‘Detectives from Maribyrnong Crime Investigation Unit have today remanded a 17-year-old with breaching his bail conditions,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘The Point Cook youth will appear at a children’s court.’
The teenager was arrested after being caught with a mobile phone, despite being ordered not to use one when granted bail, The Herald Sun reported.
Bail was given on the condition the teenager did not associate with a co-offender, be in possession of a smartphone or use social media, or attend Highpoint.
Earlier on Thursday, Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the injured officer and his colleagues felt let down by the youth being granted bail.
‘We have a person in a hospital bed and we have a person in the dock and there seems some confusion over which one of these two is the victim,’ he told reporters on Thursday.
The officer (pictured), 25, was making a shoplifting arrest at the Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong, in Melbourne’s inner west, when he was allegedly attacked
‘There wouldn’t be a police officer in Victoria that wouldn’t be watching this today, saying what the hell’s going on here. This is an absolute insult to all of us.’
Mr Gatt said the courts need to ensure officers are protected, the community can feel safe and police can do their job with confidence.
The injured officer has since returned to work.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the decision to grant bail was ‘incomprehensible’ and sent a message that injuring a police officer was acceptable behaviour.
‘There’s an element in which the courts haven’t reflected the community expectations … that’s why we’ve made changes to the Bail Act,’ she told 3AW.
The accused – a 17-year-old with a history of serious crimes – was granted bail on Tuesday despite being on 12-months’ probation (pictured is CCTV footage of the incident)
Shadow Attorney General John Pesutto said the Andrews government weakened youth bail laws two years ago and was now blaming others for the consequences of their decision.
The accused – a 17-year-old with a history of serious crimes – was granted bail on Tuesday despite being on 12-months’ probation.
The accused was arrested on Friday and charged with assaulting an emergency worker on duty, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury and common law assault.
The injured officer, a five-year veteran of the force, was taken to hospital after the alleged assault.
The news comes as Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said African youths who commit violent crimes should be deported.
The injured officer, a five-year veteran of the force, was taken to hospital after the alleged assault (pictured is CCTV footage of the incident)
Melbourne has been shocked by a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks, which include attacks on police.
Last week, gang members trashed the Ecoville Community Park at Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west, by destroying furniture, windows and walls.
Only days before Christmas, Menace to Society gang graffiti was scrawled on an AirBnB party house at Werribee, also in Melbourne’s west.
Rocks were pelted at police forcing them to retreat from the house, when more than 100 youths, primarily African appearance, turned on them.
Melbourne has been shocked by a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks, which include attacks on police (pictured is Highpoint Shopping Centre)
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