A 16-year-old boy charged with murdering another teen in Melbourne has been bailed, with a judge saying the case against the youth is weak.
The teen, who cannot be identified because he's underage, is charged with the murder of a 17-year-old South Australian boy near Keilor Plains station in December 2019.
The accused killer was granted bail on Wednesday in Victoria's Supreme Court, where Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth described the prosecution case against him as weak.
"It's not necessary for me to go into any detail of those specific weaknesses," the judge said.
"But I have no hesitancy saying it's a weak crown case."
The teen's lawyer said this was "someone who has spent their 16th birthday on remand for murder".
"(He is someone) who has not hugged his mum for a considerable period of time, who sees his mum on a video screen but not in person, and who wants to stay in the community," the lawyer said.
She added the teen had spent 10 months in custody, and during this time had engaged in education, and sought to show he could be trusted and his desire to "break the cycle".
Justice Hollingworth said there was evidence the teen was "finally starting to grow up" and starting to accept he needed to turn things around.
He was bailed on strict conditions including a curfew, living at a set address, abstaining from alcohol and drugs and a ban on associating with his co-accused.
He is due back in court in August.
The court was also told another teen charged in relation to the Keilor Plains incident had pleaded guilty to affray and was awaiting sentence.
