Luqman Ahmed, a 20-year-old resident of Tarneit, has pleaded guilty for his involvement in an attack on a 16-year-old boy that occurred in August 2021 in Truganina.
The incident involved Ahmed and two others, who approached the victim on the street while he was riding his bike. The co-accused asked for the victim’s phone and then proceeded to assault him by punching him in the face, stomach, and kicking him in the torso.
Ahmed filmed the attack, but he stopped filming and fled the scene with another man while the co-accused walked the victim about 50 meters up the street, where they took his mobile phone. According to the court, Ahmed was motivated to film the attack due to a petty online disagreement.
The incident was caught on CCTV, and police executed search warrants, interviewed Ahmed on August 26, 2021, and charged him on bail to appear in court. During the police interview, Ahmed expressed great remorse for his actions and acknowledged that he knew the assault would occur but was unaware that the co-accused would steal the victim’s phone.
The court also heard character references from Ahmed’s mentor, mother, and uncle that described his actions as out of character. It was also revealed that Ahmed had disassociated himself from the co-accused.
The court sentenced Ahmed to 50 hours of unpaid community work without conviction. Magistrate Mike Wardell expressed his disgust at Ahmed filming the attack, stating that it “humiliated” the victim.
Ahmed was the oldest of six siblings and helped his single mother care for his 14-year-old disabled brother.
