Bail granted to man accused of running down two 12-year-olds in Mildura street
A north-west Victoria man accused of deliberately driving into two 12-year-old boys has been granted bail, keeping the case in the spotlight as one child
A north-west Victoria man accused of deliberately driving into two 12-year-old boys has been granted bail, keeping the case in the spotlight as one child faces a concussion and the other a collapsed lung. The allegations centre on a late-night confrontation in Mildura’s Langtree Mall, where police say a Ford ute struck the boys after they were seen on the same street where the accused man’s partner’s business had been damaged.
Gol Gol auto electrician Andrew Brien, 56, is facing seven charges over the incident, including reckless conduct endangering life, dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury and driving in a dangerous manner. He was granted bail in Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Court hears boys were 'blameless'
The court heard the two boys were riding a motorised push bike when they were hit about 11pm last Thursday. Prosecutors allege Brien pursued and struck them deliberately.
One boy suffered a concussion and a sore arm after being flung about 20 metres onto a nearby street, where a pole landed on him, the court was told. The other boy, who was allegedly run over by the vehicle, was reported to have suffered a collapsed lung.
Magistrate’s court details shared on Wednesday painted a grim scene. The boys were cleared of any wrongdoing on the night. Their conduct was not in dispute. What mattered, the court heard, was the alleged response: actions described as “grossly unjustified”.
Bail granted after serious allegations
Brien, from Gol Gol, across the New South Wales border from Mildura, will now face the charges while on bail. The case has drawn attention because of the age of the boys and the severity of the alleged driving, with the prosecution framing the incident as a deliberate act rather than a traffic mishap.
The matter comes amid broader concern in Australia and other countries about road violence and the risks pedestrians and riders face when disputes spill onto streets. Courts often treat allegations involving children and vehicles with particular gravity, especially where prosecutors say a driver acted on purpose.
The case remains before the court, with Brien facing seven charges linked to the night two children were hit in one of Mildura’s busiest precincts.
