Teenager fronts court after elderly man allegedly bashed

Feb 16, 2022

In court: A 16-year-old Yarrawonga boy is contesting a charge of home invasion over an alleged incident during which an elderly man was bashed in his home and had his car stolen. Photo by supplied

An 84-year-old man was allegedly hit in the head with a chair and kicked while he was laying on the ground after he came across two people who had broken into his house.

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The man was left with a severed tear duct and a broken cheek and nose from the alleged incident.

A 16-year-old Yarrawonga boy appeared in a Children’s Court last week for a mention over the incident.

He is facing charges including home invasion, but is contesting the charges.

The prosecutor told the court the boy and a 19-year-old male co-accused allegedly broke into a Yarrawonga house at 12.51am on October 3 last year.

Inside were the 84-year-old victim and his 90-year-old wife.

The 90-year-old charged at the boy and the co-accused, and got into a scuffle with the 16-year-old and was knocked to the floor, the prosecutor said.

The boy then picked up a chair and hit the man in the face with it, knocking him to the ground, before kicking him in the chest, the prosecutor said.

The boy then allegedly stole the man’s Volkswagen Golf vehicle, which police saw being driven on Shepparton-Katamatite Rd, Marungi, at a speed alleged to be up to 150km/h at 1.20am.

The tyres of the vehicle were deflated as the vehicle was driven into Shepparton, before the boy continued to drive at a dangerous speed on the wrong side of the road and through a red traffic light, with sparks coming from the rim of the wheel, the prosecutor said.

When the vehicle came to a stop in Field St, the boy ran off and jumped into back yards of nearby houses, while the co-accused was arrested in Field St, the court was told.

The court was also told an associate of the boy stole a Holden Calais from Newton St, Shepparton, about 1km from where police were making their inquiries in Field St.

This car was caught on CCTV in a petrol drive-off in Kialla about 20 minutes later.

The court also heard police did a check on the boy’s bail address at 1.18am on October 3 and he was not there, contrary to his bail conditions.

Sen Constable McLeod said the boy’s handprint was also found on the rear driver’s side door of the Golf, which was “consistent with putting a hand there while getting out”.

The prosecutor admitted to the court that identity was an issue in the matter and conceded the case was circumstantial.

However she said police relied on the boy’s mother’s statement that he was in the company of the co-accused at their house earlier, the fingerprints on the car and the short time frame that police say would limit time anyone else in the car could have picked him up from somewhere else.

The matter will go to a contested hearing later this year.