Lawyers for a teenage girl accused of mowing down a cyclist during a two-month crime spree across Melbourne, where she allegedly committed 109 offences, plan to argue she is too young to be held responsible for her crimes. <\/p>\n
The 14-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared before a children\u2019s court on Monday where her lawyer foreshadowed she would present an argument for doli incapax \u2014 the legal principle that presumes a child between the ages of 10 and 14 does not know their conduct is morally wrong.<\/p>\n
The teen is accused of targeting Jewish individuals, googling the phrase \u201cwhere do Jews live\u201d and \u201cweaponising\u201d a stolen car to run down a 45-year-old man cycling in the bayside suburb of Brighton.<\/p>\n
On March 30 this year, when the teen was 13 years old, she allegedly attempted to strike the cyclist with the passenger door of a stolen SUV.<\/p>\n
After a brief argument between the pair, the teen allegedly drove into the rear of the cyclist and knocked him from his bike. He suffered significant injuries to his neck and has described ongoing mental anguish.<\/p>\n
Police said the teen Googled \u201chow long is the sentence for running someone over\u201d within three minutes of allegedly striking the cyclist.<\/p>\n
The 14-year-old is also accused of carrying out a series of antisemitic attacks, including swerving towards members of the Jewish community in Ripponlea two days before the cyclist was knocked from his bike. <\/p>\n
She has been charged with reckless conduct endangering serious injury, motor vehicle theft and burglary.<\/p>\n
The teen was on bail at the time the alleged offences were carried out.<\/p>\n
In court on Monday, she appeared via video link from a youth justice centre. She wore a grey jumper and sat with her arms crossed.<\/p>\n
Asked by a magistrate if she could hear him, the teen responded: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The court heard the teen turned 14 over the weekend and that her alleged offending all occurred when she was 13. She has been in custody for 34 days.<\/p>\n
Police plan to rely on CCTV footage, bodyworn camera footage and phone camera footage, the court heard.<\/p>\n
The magistrate told prosecutors it was \u201cobvious\u201d the teen would argue for doli incapax.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s obvious. You\u2019re dealing with a 13-year-old,\u201d he told the court. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing that goes into your head is doli. The kids, when they get arrested, scream to police officers, \u2018doli, doli\u2019. They\u2019re aware of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A date to hear arguments for doli incapax, was set down for May 18.<\/p>\n
The teen appeared before a children\u2019s court in April where it was reported she giggled throughout the hearing.<\/p>\n
Detective Senior Constable Jarryd Grey told the court in April that the teen \u201cthinks (her offending) gives her status in her group, which is really concerning\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said it was clear from a search of her mobile phone that she was targeting certain members of the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a web search on \u2018where do Jews live\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows us it is targeted. She is going out of her way to target a certain community.\u201d <\/p>\n
Prosecutors said the teen\u2019s alleged offending had \u201creached its current peak\u201d after averaging 1.45 offences a day for 74 days.<\/p>\n
Footage of the teen driving recklessly in a stolen black sedan around suburbs including Ripponlea, Hampton and Caulfield \u2014 all home to large Jewish communities \u2014 made headlines in April. <\/p>\n
Police say the teen thrived on the notoriety and took great interest in news articles about her alleged offending, as well as the number of likes her videos received on social media.<\/p>\n