A teenage boy who had moved to the ACT after accumulating a "long list of criminal charges" in another jurisdiction has been put on notice after he allegedly committed violent acts that a prosecutor described as "alarming in nature".
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ACT Policing in a statement allege that the teen committed an aggravated robbery at a Gungahlin massage parlour on Tuesday afternoon.
The teen is accused of entering the business on Anthony Rolfe Avenue about 4pm before leaving, then returning while allegedly armed with an axe.
He allegedly demanded money before using the axe to smash the counter and stealing a handbag from the counter.
"While fleeing the scene on foot, the [alleged] offender was pursued by a person from a neighbouring business and dropped the handbag after crossing Anthony Rolfe Avenue," police said.
The teen was arrested on Wednesday in relation to that incident and another incident at a vacant residence in Harrison earlier this week.
His charges include aggravated robbery, trespassing with the intention to commit an offence, and two counts each of property damage and theft.
He appeared in the ACT Children's Court on Thursday when it was heard the handbag was worth $300 and contained $200.
The teen allegedly stole the axe, worth $50, and damaged the inside of a building, including plastered walls, light fixtures, window fly screens and timber flooring.
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Defence lawyer Rebekah Mula applied for bail on his behalf, saying the young person had moved to the ACT for a fresh start.
"Not wanting to minimise the seriousness of these allegations, there is definitely a disconnect between the person described in these allegations and the polite, respectful, and cooperative young person who I met in the cell this morning," Ms Mula said.
"Perhaps that disconnect can be explained by his use of illicit substances and alcohol.
"Whilst obviously that's not an acceptable coping mechanism, it should be recognised that this is a young person who has lived a life of instability and dysfunction."
Ms Mula said strict bail conditions would help provide rehabilitation and to "give him an opportunity to prove that he can be in the community".
"It's not the role of the courts to simply detain him and throw away the key and put the onus on the detention facility to engage in the rehabilitative process," she said.
Ms Mula said the police statement of alleged facts showed some positive characteristics, including that the teen dropped the handbag and took only the money when a complainant said the handbag was valuable and had a passport.
"This isn't somebody who is beyond redemption," the defence lawyer said.
A prosecutor opposed bail based on the likelihood of the teen being charged with further offences and the likelihood of him endangering the safety of anyone.
She said the alleged criminal acts involved a "significant level of violence" that were "alarming in nature".
She said that while the prosecution conceded that all of the teen's charges in the other jurisdiction had been proven without conviction, withdrawn or dismissed, his criminal history was still relevant as it includes charges of thefts, burglary, and property damage.
"Viewing the current alleged offending against the background of the young person's history paints a picture of a young person being motivated by violence and dishonesty offences," she said.
Magistrate Jane Campbell said the allegations were serious and they gave her concerns about the need to protect the community.
"Your criminal history doesn't help you because you've got a long list of criminal charges [before moving to the ACT]," Ms Campbell said.
The magistrate acknowledged, however, the non-convictions and the support of his guardians, who were in court.
She described the alleged offending in Harrison as "quite bizarre".
"To me, it's some sort of mental illness or emotion-driven offending," Ms Campbell said.
The magistrate granted bail, saying "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt on this occasion".
"You are on notice that if you come back before these courts with any breaches of bail, I'd be very reluctant to grant you bail again," Ms Campbell said.
Conditions include reporting to Child and Youth Protection Services, a curfew, and to accept monitoring by a mental health service.
The teen, who has not pleaded to the charges, is set to face court again on August 29.
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