Glenfield incident: Teenager in court over alleged assault outside McDonald’s also facing unrelated knife charge

The 12-year-old girl was covered in blood.

An Auckland teenager charged after a 12-year-old girl was allegedly beaten and left covered in blood outside an Auckland McDonald’s is now facing another charge for possessing a knife at a bus stop two days later.

The 14-year-old appeared before Judge Clare Bennett in the North Shore Youth Court today and has been remanded in custody.

She has been charged with possessing a knife in public, at a Birkenhead Rd bus stop, without lawful authority or excuse, and injures with intent to injure, after a girl was left covered in blood following an alleged assault outside the Glenfield McDonald’s on Sunday.

Earlier today police acknowledged how upsetting the incident was for the victim and the community.

“However, as this matter is now before the court, police are limited in further comment,” they said.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described the incident as horrific and utterly unacceptable.

Speaking to the AM Show, Hipkins said the photos of the girl in blood-soaked pants and nursing a gash on her head would leave any parent heartbroken.

The young girl was enjoying a meal with her classmates at the McDonald’s when two girls at another table are believed to have “mistakenly” thought they were being laughed at.

“One of the girls proceeded to approach the table, demanding an apology from my sister, assuming they had been mocking her, despite their genuine intentions of having fun,” the victim’s sister told the Herald.

She said her sister would never want to upset anyone and is not the type to engage in fights or “rebellious behaviour”.