A teenager who used a hard drive to smash a youth worker's head during a 2019 riot at the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre hopes to study law upon his release to help troubled youths, court documents state.
During the incident, the offender shouted to others "it's happening, it's happening" and "come on boys, let's do this".
He threw a barrage of punches to the face of a youth worker who tried to contain the situation before using a hard drive as a weapon, "splitting [the victim's head] open".
He also punched, pushed and headbutted other workers who tried to help and "violently resisted being restrained".
The riot only stopped after five workers picked him up and carried him to his cell.
The teen pleaded guilty to assault charges, conspiring to escape from custody and knowingly resist a territory official.
He was sentenced in February this year to suspended jail terms of between two and 12 months for most of the charges with a 22-month good behaviour order attached.
For two other charges, good behaviour orders only were imposed.
Following the sentencing, he was in the community for only four months before he breached those orders when police caught him in Conder for dangerous driving and unlicensed driving.
He also admitted to those charges and the ACT Magistrates Court sentenced the offender, now 18, in early November to six months' jail at Alexander Maconochie Centre.
He was also fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three years.
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During his sentencing last Friday for breaching the good behaviour orders, he said in a letter to the ACT Supreme Court that "when I'm older I definitely want to attend university at some point".
"I'd much like to have a job which involves keeping troubled youths out of the justice system so that they don't become institutionalised and suffer other consequences that come with entering the system," he said.
In her sentencing, Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson said that while the driving offences were serious, she did not "consider that the breaches are so serious that they show the offender has such a disregard of his obligation to be of good behaviour".
The judge re-sentenced the offender to the same suspended terms as those imposed for the riot rather than imposing the balance of the suspended sentences.
"Justice in this case favours re-sentence, particularly in circumstances where neither [legal] party submitted that the imposition of the suspended period was appropriate and in light of the offender's subjective circumstances," she said.
She cited his personal circumstances and other letters, including one from his mother and college.
"The offender enjoyed furthering his education and at the time of the original sentencing [for the riot], had expressed he wished to obtain his year 12 certificate, as well as potentially go on to study law at university," Justice Loukas- Karlsson said.
"I accept that the offender has further significant prospects for rehabilitation."
She also said the offender was eager to obtain employment and other positive goals.
The suspended terms began on November 19 and are set to finish in September 2023.
