A young man from Australia was charged over a brawl that immediately turned gruesome at a Sunshine Coast shopping center. The court refused bail for the young man.
Horrifying incident
The 18-year-old suspect, Jai Clarke, is accused of slashing a teenage girl across the neck with a box cutter when she tried to stop a fight with another young man on June 22. The suspect was crying and had his head in his hands as his matter was heard in Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
According to Daily Mail, Clarke was arrested on June 24 in Woodridge, Brisbane, two days after the incident. The court heard that Clarke ran from the authorities because he was afraid to go to jail.
Atty. Luke Bull, Clarke's lawyer, told the court that he had been bullied by the boy that he fought with at the shopping center and the girl whom he slashed with a box cutter. Atty. Bull said the two targeted Clarke on social media before the incident.
He added that it could be possible that the two victims invited him to fight and that Clarke approached the victims. The attorney said that it is a massive difference and that it is something that the court needs to explore. He later added that the two victims are not saints and should not be patronized.
The 16-year-old girl had to undergo surgery for the 10cm gash, which spans from her chin to her ear. Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist told Clarke the injury he caused the girl could have led to far more serious offenses.
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Clarke has been charged with wounding, assault occasioning bodily harm, and possession of a knife in a public place. He tried to apply for bail but it was refused by the court. According to 9News, the matter will return to court in August.
Other incidents
On May 21, a man's face was slashed with a knife at Dagenham, England after racists insults were hurled at him. The police were called to the scene after a report of an assault. That was when they found a man suffering from a slash wound on his face.
Detective Constable Marvin Turner said that the incident was unprovoked and appalling and that the victim was attacked based solely on the color of his skin.
According to Essex Live, the victim, whose name and race was kept confidential, visited a friend when the suspect, 39-year-old Daniel Weston, started hurling racist insults at him. The victim allegedly asked Weston to stop. Weston left but only to come back with a knife.
The suspect confronted the victim and slashed his face. According to the report, Weston lunged at the victim twice but the victim managed to get out of the way and run outside. Detective Constable Marvin Turner said in a statement that hate crime is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated.
The authorities are now looking for Weston and they are asking the public to assist them by providing any information about the suspect that can speed up their investigation. Anyone with information about Weston or anyone who had witnessed the hate crime is asked to call 101, quoting CAD 8991/21May. Or tweet @MetCC.
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