Man granted 'very strict' bail after alleged attack on two young boys at Canberra shopping centre
The court heard the 18-year-old is accused of knocking over the two boys and kicking one of them while at the Belconnen Westfield shopping centre. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
In short:
An 18-year-old accused of assaulting two young boys at a Canberra shopping centre has been granted "very strict" bail.
Bail was granted on conditions including that the man, who has an intellectual disability, not leave his home without two people supervising him.
What's next?
The matter will return to court in October.
A man accused of attacking two young children in a Canberra shopping centre has been granted bail under "very, very strict conditions".
Police allege the 18-year-old man approached the boys, aged two and four, at the Belconnen Westfield shopping centre, knocked both over and kicked one of them.
One boy was taken to hospital and received treatment for injuries sustained during the incident in August.
The man, who has an intellectual disability, was charged with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and was remanded in custody.
In seeking bail in the ACT Magistrates Court, legal aid lawyer Gillian Bilton said proposed "very, very strict" bail conditions would see the "very vulnerable young man" never left alone.
One of the two boys was taken to hospital, and received treatment for injuries sustained during the alleged assault. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
Under the bail conditions proposed, the man would not be able to leave his home without being supervised by two people, and would only be able to leave for essential reasons.
It would also mean he would need to stay within touching distance of those two people.
The court had previously heard police had had "more than 40 involvements" with the man since 2024 and that he "thinks he's a car".
He was also accused of assaulting young children and threatening staff at a primary school.
Bail conditions equate to house arrest
Prosecutor Taden Kelliher raised "considerable concerns" about the bail application.
"He is a danger, to put it bluntly," Mr Kelliher told the court.
But he accepted the man couldn't be locked up forever, acknowledging the bail conditions would essentially mean the man was under house arrest.
Special Magistrate Sean Richter previously told the court he couldn't think of a worse place for the 18-year-old to be than jail. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Ms Bilton also told the court the man had been "left in limbo" in trying to access a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support package.
"The disability system does not move quickly,"she said.
The court was closed while the man's parents gave evidence about what steps they would take to support him if he was released.
Special Magistrate Sean Richter had previously told the court he couldn't "think of a worse place" for the man to be than jail, but wanted assurances safeguards would be in place if bail was granted.
In granting bail, Special Magistrate Richter also imposed a condition that the man is not to be within five metres of any children and to comply with police door-checks.
The matter returns to court in October.