Two more teenagers have been granted bail, accused of being involved in a rock throwing incident that left a five-year-old boy with a fractured skull.
Police allege the boy was hit in the head with a tennis ball-sized rock that was thrown through an open window of the Kuranda Scenic Rail tourist train as it passed through a Cairns North intersection on Saturday afternoon.
The Cairns Childrens Court heard the injured boy and his family were visiting from Japan and were unable to return home until he was cleared to travel.
The boy was flown from Cairns to Townsville University Hospital on Sunday to receive further treatment but has since been discharged.
Boys arrested
Police prosecutor Taylor Reedy on Thursday told the court it was “very fortunate no one else was injured”.
Two boys, aged 14 and 13, were granted bail on Thursday afternoon, each charged with endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent.
The 14-year-old was on a probation order at the time of the alleged incident and had been “reasonably compliant” with its conditions, the court heard.
The court heard the 13-year-old had experienced trauma over the past year, including the death of a family member.
A boy was injured while riding Kuranda Scenic Rail, a popular tourism attraction in Far North Queensland. (ABC News: Miriam Mazurek-Kaminska)
The court heard he had no criminal history but was accused of being part of a group that allegedly robbed a man at Cairns Central Shopping Centre.
The 13-year-old was also charged over a separate incident in which he and others allegedly broke into a Cairns waterfront restaurant, vandalised the premises and tried to steal from a cash register.
“It does look like perhaps he does need to stay away from this crowd,” Magistrate Sandra Pearson said.
Both teenagers were granted bail with conditions, including a ban on being in contact with their alleged co-offenders.
In total, four boys have been charged over the rock-throwing incident.
On Tuesday, a 14-year-old was remanded in custody, while a 15-year-old was granted bail on Wednesday.
Briefs of evidence are due on November 28, with the cases listed to return to court in December.
The police investigation continues.
