A YOUTH living on a rural property near Albury took exception to being asked by his stepmother to clean up a mess and punched her before hitting her with a hammer and rolling pin, a court has been told.
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The incident happened in April and the youth, who suffers from mental health issues, later drove a short distance to hide the rolling pin and a .22 rifle, which had previously had the bolt taken from it by his father.
His stepmother was treated at hospital for two wounds to the back of her head, which were three centimetres in length and needed stitches.
The youth, 17, now living in Lavington, appeared in Albury Children’s Court yesterday for sentencing on charges of reckless wounding and four firearms-related offences.
Solicitor Sue Robey made an application for magistrate Tony Murray to deal with the charges under the Mental Health Criminal Proceedings Act.
Ms Robey said the youth felt pressured and intimidated at the time.
But police prosecutor Sgt Andrew Pike said the matters were too serious to be dealt with under the Mental Health Act and the victim had suffered significant injuries.
Mr Murray rejected the application by Ms Robey and put the youth on a nine-month suspended control order on the reckless wounding charge.
Fines were imposed for the other matters without conviction and Mr Murray has ordered the youth to take medication as prescribed.
The youth was asked about 6.30pm on April 27 to clean up a mess he had made in a shed and reconnect water tanks to a pump.
He ignored the request and began playing a PlayStation before another request was made by the victim.
She stood between the youth and the television, which prompted him to go outside.
When he came back, he grabbed the victim by the throat and punched her to the upper body.
He then used a hammer and rolling pin to inflict further blows.
The victim fell to the floor bleeding profusely from the wounds, then contacted police.
The youth took a farm ute and drove about one kilometre to hide the rifle and rolling pin near a dam.
Police arrested the youth the following day at a nearby property and found the gun and rolling pin.
The youth’s father had removed the bolt from the rifle three weeks earlier through concern about his son’s behaviour.
