An Adelaide father has alleged he was threatened with knives by a group of teenagers at an Adelaide shopping centre, and was then injured when they threw a rock at him.
Danny* alleged the six boys, aged between 13 and 16 years old, lunged at him, one with a kitchen knife, the other with a hunting knife, in the middle of Arndale Shopping Centre in Kilkenny at 1.30pm on Tuesday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Adelaide dad allegedly menaced by teens.
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“It was a little bit scary because they’re children, and they’re playing with big knives, and they don’t know what they’re doing. Sooner or later, they’re going to end up severely hurt, if not dead,” Danny said.
The six teenagers from Adelaide’s north and west have been charged with aggravated affray, with two 14-year-olds also charged with carrying an offensive weapon and aggravated assault.
A defence lawyer for one of the accused told Adelaide Youth Court Danny had followed the teenagers, who had then walked away and tried to stay clear of him.
The lawyer said the group felt threatened by the older man and felt they needed to defend themselves.
Danny did not deny he followed the boys when they got off a bus and alleged the group attacked him and his son with pepper spray, machetes and a cricket back at his home a few days before.
“I would expect any father that was in my situation or was confronted by it to do the same, to stand up to these children and tell them, ‘enough, put it down, go home’,” Danny said outside court.
South Australia Police allege the youths ran away when officers arrived at the shopping centre.
Police allege one of the group threw a rock, hitting Danny in the chin, causing a minor injury.
“Everyone around here has had enough. Kids come from school, they go through the centre and they get robbed,” Danny said.
“Snap out of it boys, it’s not going to end well for you or for whoever gets you … change your life or you’re going to end up in jail or dead.”
Most of the boys are under state care, a court heard.
One of them had just received a suspended sentence for threatening a bus driver with a knife.
The boys received bail.
*Full name withheld for privacy.
– With Peter Caldicott