Arabic version: احتجاز فتى على خلفية إطلاق نار مزعوم من سيارة في غوسنيلز
According to ABC News, a 13-year-old boy charged over an alleged drive-by shooting at a Gosnells home will remain in custody for six weeks after choosing not to apply for bail. He appeared by videolink in Perth Children’s Court on Monday.
Police allege the boy used a semi-automatic rifle to fire more than 20 shots into a house on Bert Street earlier this month. Seven people, including children, were inside the home in the early hours of October 17, though no one was seriously injured. CCTV footage captured audio in which 27 gunshots could be heard.
The boy was arrested in a Belmont car park the following day. He faces eight charges, including unlawful use of a firearm, endangering life, possession of stolen property and no authority to drive.
The court heard that the family was new to Perth and that the boy’s mother needed to secure stable, suitable accommodation before bail could be considered. He will stay at Banksia Hill Detention Centre while she seeks accommodation.
The court also heard that the boy’s capacity to understand the seriousness of his actions would be an issue because he is under 14. Under Western Australia’s doli incapax principle, the state must prove that a child under 14 understood alleged crimes were seriously wrong. Prosecutors were ordered to provide the defence with a brief of evidence, including matters from Victoria. Police have not located the alleged firearm, a Category D weapon illegal for civilian use in Australia for 30 years. The boy is due back in court in December.
