Yay! No more bail ...
Teenager who allegedly attacked terrified pregnant mother in Ashfield refused bailHolly Thompson
September 30, 2022 — 6.20pm
A 15-year-old girl was already on bail when she allegedly attacked a pregnant woman pushing a pram with two children inside in Perth’s north-east earlier this month.
At about 12.40pm on September 5 the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly pulled the 37-year-old pregnant mother to the ground by wrenching her hair in Ashfield.
CCTV footage released by West Australian Police allegedly shows the teenager pulling the woman’s hair from behind causing her to fall over — upturning the pram with two-year-old twin girls inside in the process — then dragging her backwards along the ground.
The girl was refused bail again in the Perth Children’s Court on Friday.
Police prosecutor Bradley Hollingsworth told the court the victim had received serious scrapes and bruising to her face, head and neck.
Later that same day, the teenager also allegedly snatched a mobile phone from an 11-year-old girl.
Hollingsworth also revealed the accused had been released on bail on September 3 for three other robbery-related offences with a co-accused.
The offending had also allegedly involved attacking vulnerable people in a similar manner.
As part of her bail conditions, the 15-year-old was not to be in contact with her co-accused but was found to be living in the same house as her.
She was also required to move to Geraldton by September 7.
She appeared in Perth Children’s Court on September 30 via video link from Banksia Hill Detention Centre, with her lawyer Sally Oliver ready to make a second bail application on her client’s behalf.
Oliver said her client had spent close to a month in custody away from her father, who lives in Geraldton with a serious heart condition, and was distressed she was not with him.
She said the teenager had stable accommodation in Geraldton and when she was in Perth she was spending time with peers who were a negative influence.
Her time in Banksia Hill Detention Centre has also been tough, Oliver said.
She recounted a detention management report that had shown her client had severe suicidal idealisation and attempted self-harm.
The teenager was also reported for issues with property damage, behaving in a threatening manner and being out of bounds.
Magistrate Andree Horrigan said for eight days during the past month the girl had spent an unlawful amount of time in lockdown.
Hollingsworth said he had confirmation from the prison that these lockdowns were not a direct result of the 15-year-old’s actions.
Horrigan said even though this was a change in circumstance, there was no bail condition she could put in place that would ensure she did not reoffend.
“You were the aggressor,” she said.
Horrigan said the circumstances of the attack against the pregnant woman were “incredibly concerning.”
“I have no confidence that any conditions will prevent you from behaving in that brazen and violent way in the future,” she said.
The 15-year-old was remanded in custody and will appear again towards the end of October to enter pleas.
www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/teenager-who-allegedly-attacked-terrified-pregnant-mother-in-ashfield-was-already-on-bail-20220930-p5bmap.html?dicbo=v2-6e260df3ab27bd50677c6fb593ec69ea
