Attempted carjacking in Eaton

An Eaton youth has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on charges stemming from an attempted carjacking on Sunday afternoon.

The 16-year-old appeared before Magistrate Paul Heaney in the Bunbury Children’s Court on Tuesday charged with a number of stealing offences as well as attempted armed robbery.

Police prosecutor Sgt Barry Phelps claimed the teenager brandished a stolen steak knife when he confronted a 52-year-old woman and told her to hand over the keys to her car in the Eaton Fair Shopping Centre carpark.

Sgt Phelps told the court the woman’s defacto partner grabbed onto the wrist of the teenager, but he broke free.

He alleged the boy then ran towards Eaton Tavern bottleshop, where he had earlier stolen alcohol before the attempted carjacking, and again tried to steal cans of alcohol.

Defence lawyer Rhonda Parks said her client was on bail for previous charges including an assault on his mother and stealing a motor vehicle.

The boy had already entered pleas of guilty to those charges.

Ms Parks said the boy had a history of mental health issues and had consumed alcohol before the incident.

Her client was also under stress because of a possible custodial sentence for his father in a separate incident. Outside the court, Det-Sen. Const.

Jeramy Davies said police wanted to speak to a man who attempted to apprehend the boy by grabbing him from behind.

Det-Sen. Const. Davies said the woman was a bit shaken, but was coping well.

The youth is due to reappear in the Bunbury Children’s Court next month after a psychiatric report is completed.