Teen apologises over racist train rant
A teenager has publicly apologised to the security guard he allegedly spat on during a shocking racist attack on a Queensland train.
Abdel-Kader Russell-Boumzar, 17, said he wished to apologise to “the bloke on the train” and “everyone that was offended by my video” as he left the Brisbane Magistrates Court after being granted bail on Monday.
Lighting a cigarette, the apprentice mechanic told reporters he felt “very bad” and didn’t mean to post the video online, before getting into a waiting car.
He and his 18-year-old friend Bailey Clout surrendered to police on Sunday after Clout’s video of the vile October 2 incident went viral and sparked a furious reaction, including death threats against the pair.
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The footage allegedly showed a drunk Russell-Boumzar spitting on guard Josphat Mkhwananzi and hurling racial abuse at him after Mr Mkhwananzi asked one of the teenagers to remove their feet from a train seat on the Ipswich line.
Russell-Boumzar is banned from Queensland trains and can’t go out without parental supervision under strict bail conditions imposed by the unimpressed magistrate who heard the case.
Bailey Clout laughed while filming his friend’s racist rant. Photo: AAP
Clout, who laughed hysterically while filming the abusive tirade, was fined $400 after pleading guilty to creating a public disturbance.
Magistrate Bronwyn Springer slammed the alleged attack as “disgusting behaviour” before imposing the strict bail conditions on Russell-Boumzar.
“He’s 17. He’s still carrying on like a child so he can be treated like one,” she told the court.
Russell-Boumzar didn’t enter a plea to charges of assault, assault occasioning bodily harm, making threats, creating a disturbance and using a carriage service to menace.
The assault occasioning bodily harm charge was later upgraded to serious assault so a forensic medical officer could test Russell-Boumzar’s blood.
He faces a possible jail sentence and must live with his parents or grandparents.
He must also abide by a curfew, report to police three times a week and is forbidden from going near any Queensland Rail infrastructure.
Lawyer Tim Clements said the teen would be contesting the spitting charge, despite apparent video footage of the act.
Police Commissioner Ian Stewart and Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson on Monday praised Mr Mkhwananzi for his calm demeanour under attack.
Mr Emerson said he spoke to the guard to pay tribute to his restraint.
“This behaviour is never acceptable and the fact that the community is so outraged by it really shows that we are a tolerant community,” he told reporters.
“But even in any tolerant community there will always be some idiot out there.”
Russell-Boumzar’s case was adjourned to November 3.