Judge's epic spray at 'privileged' private schoolboy who ended up in court on armed robbery charges and worships misogynist Andrew Tate
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A private school boy who committed a string of serious offences has received a dressing down from a judge who told the 16-year-old he could still make something of his life if he stopped behaving like an 'idiot'.
Judge Michael Burnett delivered the lecture while sentencing the teen on eight charges including attempted armed robbery in company and burglary in company with property damage in Brisbane's Children's Court on July 5.
The boy earlier pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery in company, unlawful use of a grey Kia Optima car, and stealing fuel from petrol stations in drive-offs.
Crown Prosecutor Tom O'Brien submitted to the sentencing hearing that the teenager turned to crime after getting into bodybuilding and with potential 'overexposure to social media including misogynist' Andrew Tate.
The boy had left his family home at the age of 15 to live with his 'kiddie gangster mates', started taking the drug ice and receiving 'praise' for the group's criminal antics on social media, his defence counsel Allana Davie submitted.
Ms Davie said the boy's criminal behaviour came out of a 'perfect storm' of factors including his parents' divorce and difficulties at school including being bullied.
However, Judge Burnett said the 'middle class' boy had shown a 'lack of gratitude' for the privileges he had been afforded by his parents.
'Your parents have made enormous sacrifices I would expect to pay the private school fees that they paid over the years to assist you,' Judge Burnett told him, according to the Courier Mail.
Queensland Judge Michael Burnett (pictured) has delivered a stern lecture to a teenage private schoolboy who committed a string of serious offences
'It is very poor recognition of the effort your parents have made.'
The judge said he understood the boy's father had 'a somewhat poisonous attitude' towards his mother but said the defendant needed to realise his mother was still 'making a home' and trying to support him and his three half-siblings.
Judge Burnett did not accept the defence argument that the boy's behaviour came out of being bullied.
'You were probably being an idiot rather than being bullied,' he told the defendant.
'You just have to suck it up. If you behave like an idiot, expect to be called out. Don't refer to it as being bullied.'
The judge went on to say that bullying 'is just a fact of life, get used to it'.
'We all know that life is challenging for young men,' Judge Burnett said.
'But a lot of what is termed bullying is not bullying at all. But it is people responding to inappropriate social behaviour.
'Sometimes that means you just have to suck it up and reflect upon your behaviours. Do you understand that?
'Yeah,' the boy replied.
'And do you accept that's what you need to do?' the judge pressed.
'Yep.'
The defendant pleaded guilty to a two-page juvenile criminal history at Richlands Children's Court on November 9 where he was given a restorative justice order.
That order has not been completed because the boy has been locked up in juvenile detention for seven months.
The court heard the boy had started to idolise 'misogynistic' social media star Andrew Tate (pictured) and received 'praise' on social media for his group's offending
The teen's history related to pointing a gun and threatening a man who challenged him about urinating in a carpark at Brookside shopping centre in Mitchelton in Brisbane's north-west in September.
His latest sentencing related to him pointing and cocking or 'racking' a gun from the window of a stolen car at a 14-year-old boy at a bus stop near Maroochydore at 7.30am on September 4 last year and demanding he hand over his phone.
Despite being only three metres away the 'terrified' victim was able to run away.
Police found a photo of the boy posing with the same gun on his friend's phone.
'We don't know if the firearm was loaded or not, but it does not matter,' Judge Burnett said in sentencing the boy to 18 months' probation.
'The fact remains that as you pulled up adjacent to that young man, you hung out the window (of the stolen car) you appear to have cocked the weapon and demanded he hand over his telephone.'
'I have had 40 years experience in the military and when you action a weapon you intend to use it, that's what it means.'
The boy also pleaded guilty to taking part in two fuel drive-offs during this September crime spree.
On January 10, he and a co-accused entered a Brisbane home and threatened the resident with a 15cm knife and a cricket bat before taking the keys to his Kia Optima.
Judge Burnett did not record convictions and encouraged the teen to follow in the footsteps of decorated war hero Mark Donaldson, if he still wanted to join the SAS or other elite forces as he had previously stated.
Judge Michael Burnett said the boy should copy the example of Mark Donaldson who despite brushes with the law as a teenager went on to win the Victoria Cross
'There is a bloke who won the Victoria Cross called Donaldson, who had a not dissimilar experience to you, and he won the Victoria Cross in Afghanistan about 10 years ago,' Judge Burnett said.
As a teenager, Mr Donaldson was forced to spend a night in a jail cell after his father decided to teach him a lesson after he and some friends stole detonators from a railway yard and let them off in a park.
Judge Burnett said such redemption was possible for the boy if he 'applied himself' and 'prove yourself over this next little while to be a good citizen and do something positive with your life'.
The boy needed to show his 'supportive parents' the 'appropriate respect' and recognise the efforts they have gone to help him as best they could', he continued.
'You do have potential, I understand that you did not like education, but there are lots of opportunities out there,' the judge said.
'All you have to do is find what you like and what you are good at and make a go of it.'
