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Teen accused of bringing gun and fake bomb onto Jetstar flight faces higher court bid
The teenager, who was 17 at the time, appeared in juvenile court via video link on Wednesday as prosecutors sought to have his case heard in the province or the Supreme Court.
“It cannot be said that this would be sufficient … to protect the community,” the prosecutor said.
There was an ideological or political motivation for the teenager’s actions, the magistrate heard, although details of the alleged motive were not discussed in open court.
The teen’s lawyer argued that the alleged motive was still unclear as he opposed the application to increase the charges and raised a possible intellectual disability defense.
A psychiatrist had diagnosed him with a likely delusional disorder, and the teen already had autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.
“We say this case presents an unusual combination of difficulties for a jury to decide this case impartially,” the lawyer said.
The defense also rejected the claim that the teen began planning the alleged hijacking in October 2024, after prosecutors said the teen made multiple online searches for Syrian airports and shooting down military aircraft.
“It is clear from his internet history that he was interested in aviation,” the lawyer said.
The defense attorney argued that the teen’s case should remain in juvenile court, where a magistrate can decide the facts fairly and impartially.
Given the teen’s mental state, the lawyer argued that the juvenile court also had the latitude to impose an appropriate sentence.
But the prosecutor argued that the case should be tried and decided by a jury, noting that a judge could issue directions to avoid prejudice.
“Clues will not prevent a properly instructed jury from performing their duties in an objective and unbiased manner,” the prosecutor said.
The magistrate told the teenager that he needed some time to consider all the material before making a decision.
The case will return to the children’s court in June.
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