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Oz court favours release of teens in assault case

Last Updated 03 May 2018, 01:39 IST

Despite describing the assault as “extraordinarily grave”, Victorian County Court judge Christine Thornton said that because the two, aged 17 and 18, were “children” she should indicate that they would not be locked up again for the December 2008 incident, according to Australian Associated Press.

The re-sentencing of the two boys was set to take place shortly after Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) appealed against their sentences.
As per the appeal system, Thornton was required to re-sentence the duo, even if she does not increase their jail terms, the report said.

The two brothers carried out an unprovoked attack in an Indian convenience store in Sunshine, where eight men were injured, including one who spent 15 days in coma and was left with permanent brain injuries. Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert SC told the court that the older youth smashed 27-year old Sukhraj Singh with a piece of wood, leaving him unconscious and bleeding with multiple skull and face fractures. Singh had been told his injuries were permanent and there was a chance he would suffer from epilepsy.
The younger brother is believed to have started the spat, asking the Indian men in the store if they were ‘Singh or Desi’, which the prosecution said was a racist remark.
Silbert said when the Indian men said they were “Singh boys”, he punched one of them without warning.

A group of four co-offenders, including his older brother, entered the store and caused mayhem, assaulting the victims and stealing a till containing several hundred dollars. The assault was captured on CCTV and when the judge viewed it she said it was very serious attack.
The brothers were sentenced in the Children’s Court to 12 months in youth detention, but were released early on parole.
PTI

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(Published 17 February 2010, 16:52 IST)

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