Seven teens arrested after spate of armed robberies in Sydney

<i>No ethnicity given.  Had they been whites that would almost certainly have been said.  As it is, the group retreated to Redfern Station, a notorious  Aboriginal hangout. There is a high rate of criminality among young Aborigines</i>

Eight people, including two 13-year-olds and five other teens, have been charged after a spate of armed robberies in Sydney's CBD on Saturday morning.

"We're alleging they followed three people after they left Maccas on George Street and chased one of them down to Town Hall Station and robbed them there," a NSW Police spokeswoman said.

The first of the three robberies occurred at about 4am when a man was approached by a group, one of whom was allegedly armed with a knife. A man from the group demanded his phone before hitting him over the head with a bottle.

The injured man was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transferred to St Vincent's Hospital in a serious condition. The police spokeswoman said the man received stitches and was kept in hospital overnight for observation and was expected to be released on Sunday.

Shortly afterwards, a second man was allegedly threatened by the same group while travelling on a train from Town Hall to Central before his phone was stolen.

Then, a third man had his headphones stolen by the group at Central Station.

The robberies occurred over about 45 minutes.

Police from a high-visibility operation targeting street crime in the CBD found and arrested the group at Redfern Station about 6am. The group consisted of a 13-year-old boy and girl, two 14-year-old boys, a 16-year-old boy and girl, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman.

Members of the group were charged with a range of crimes, including armed robbery, assault and theft. They were refused bail and will appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/seven-teens-arrested-after-spate-of-armed-robberies-in-sydney-s-cbd-20201213-p56mzn.html