‘Did not bother’: Queensland judge calls out police failings in case of teenage boy

Ruling questions why officers failed to conduct forensic testing, tender CCTV footage and obtain key witness statements

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A Queensland boy who claims he was wrongly accused of a home invasion has been found not guilty, after a court ruled police officers made no effort to confirm his account, failed to gather certain evidence, and “did not bother” to take relevant witness statements.

Police brought a charge against the boy, who is of African descent, alleging he was one of five teenagers who entered a woman’s room and demanded money in October 2021. He was accused in court of being armed with a steering wheel lock.

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