QLD: 'Egging' assault causes stink with Gold Coast police
By Crystal Ja12 May 2009 5:07 PM
GOLD COAST, Qld, May 12 AAP - Gold Coast high school students who brandished a toy pistol at a labourer before pelting him with eggs could face criminal charges, police have warned.
Fed-up officers have put teenagers on notice after a recent spate of attacks including the one on the labourer on Tuesday morning.
"The Gold Coast has in excess of 14,000 students and predominantly they are good kids, (but) they need to be reminded if the kids commit criminal offences, they will be brought to justice," Acting Superintendent Des Lacy told reporters.
In Tuesday's incident, school students believed to be aged 14 and 15 got into a verbal fight with the labourer at the Brygon Creek Drive shops at Upper Coomera.
"As a result of that exchange, a toy plastic pistol was produced by one of the youths. The plasterer kicked this out of the young lady's hand which then increased the verbal exchange," Acting Superintendent Des Lacy told reporters.
"The young people then went and purchased some eggs from the IGA store there and started to pelt the eggs at the plasterer."
The attack followed a brawl between two Gold Coast school girls on April 21. A 17-year-old male who allegedly filmed the fight on a mobile phone has been charged with assault.
In an unrelated incident on Monday this week, a Gold Coast teenager was attacked by other students on a busy street.
The assault, which left the 15-year-old student with a suspected broken nose, was also filmed.
Supt Lacy said the "silly actions" of young people would not be tolerated.
He said the recent attacks showed the need for a sharper focus on truancy, parental guidance and the effect media coverage might have in prompting similar assaults.
Such issues had come to light as a result of the recent investigations.
" ... it's something that we're going to have to look at a lot more closely," he said.
"(But) it's an education process that will take some time ... young people sometimes listen, sometimes they don't."
