A TEENAGER who laughed hysterically while filming a mate's racist tirade against a Brisbane train guard may have given police vital evidence against his friend, a magistrate says. BAILEY Clout, 18, has admitted filming the attack, allegedly committed by his friend Abdel-Kader Russell-Boumzar, and then uploading the footage on YouTube. The pair surrendered to police on the weekend, after the footage went viral and sparked a furious online reaction that reportedly included death threats against the pair.
Clout appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to one count of creating a disturbance. He was convicted and fined $400.
Magistrate Brownyn Springer said he may have done police a huge favour when he decided to film the attack on Queensland Rail security guard Josphat Mkhwananzi. There was no doubt the footage would help police in their case against Russell-Boumzar, 17, the magistrate said.
Russell-Boumzar faced the same court earlier on Monday and was granted bail despite police objections. The second-year apprentice mechanic is alleged to have spat at and repeatedly hurled racist slurs at Mr Mkhwananzi, after the security guard told him to remove his feet from the seat of a train on the Ipswich line on October 2.
Russell-Boumzar has been charged with assault, assault occasioning bodily harm, making threats, creating a disturbance, and using a carriage service to menace. Magistrate Springer said Russell-Boumzar was accused of "disgusting behaviour" and questioned his intention to dispute the spitting charge. "I thought that that was all caught in the footage?" she asked.
Duty lawyer Tim Clements said he had discussed that aspect with Russell-Boumzar and his advice at this stage was that it would be contested.
He was granted bail on the condition he live in Paddington with his parents, who must accompany him out of the house except when he attends work. He must also abide by a curfew, report to police three times a week and is forbidden from going near any Queensland Rail infrastructure.