Family’s anger over after serious charges were dropped against youth who helped abduct and seriously their teenage son

A furious family have lashed out after serious charges were dropped against a teenager accused of being involved in the kidnapping and assault of their schoolboy.

Benjamin Phikhohpoom suffered life-changing injuries when he was dragged into a stolen car by a group of three teenagers outside Glen Eira College, in Melbourne’s south-east, at about 3.30pm last September.

The group – two boys and a girl – were reportedly armed with machetes and demanded he hand over his phone and belongings.

He was then allegedly run over by the car and dragged 150 metres. He was then stabbed and run over again when he was thrown from the vehicle.

Bystanders saw Benjamin vomiting blood and he was rushed to hospital, where he remained in a coma for six days with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

The details were told in the children’s court on Thursday as a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to a number of charges including armed robbery, theft and possession of a controlled weapon.

However, a settlement was reached with prosecutors, resulting in the charges of intentionally causing serious injury and reckless conduct being dropped.

Benjamin’s mother, Wannisa Srichan, said that while there had been some justice, the family was “still very sad about (the) outcome.”

The Public Prosecution Service has dropped the charges against Benjamin. Ms Srichan said these offenses were ‘difficult’ to hear in court.

“What this boy did was very serious and it affected my son very deeply,” she told the Herald Sun.

‘I listened to the trial today and it was very tough… My son is still suffering from this, he is having a hard time.

‘It’s been almost 10 months now and we are so angry that our family has had to go through this. Benjamin didn’t deserve this.’

The teenage defendant had spent 43 days in pre-trial detention before being released on bail in October.

Benjamin spent six days in a coma (pictured) after suffering a fractured skull and a brain hemorrhage when he was reportedly dragged 150 yards from a stolen car driven by the group

The court heard the youths had allegedly committed a crime in the hour before the attack on Benjamin.

A mother and daughter who were in a car reported that the teens tried to open the doors of the vehicle. When they realized the teens were inside, they fled.

The youths stopped next to a teenager for about 35 minutes, asked if they had a phone and punched him when they said no.

Shortly afterwards, the phones and headphones of two other teenagers were stolen by the group, with one of the group members brandishing a machete at them.

They then turned their attention to a high school student who witnessed the robbery and asked, “What phone do you have?” before demanding they hand it over.

Benjamin and a friend had just finished school and were walking home when they were attacked.

Benjamin’s family said it was difficult to hear the details of the plea in court because the charges related to alleged crimes against the student (pictured)

The court heard Benjamin was forced to sit in the passenger seat when the teenage girl believed to be behind the wheel took off while he was still hanging from the door.

He had to run to avoid his legs scraping the road, but lost his grip when the car reached a speed of 70 km/h.

Benjamin was left with permanent brain damage, double vision and memory loss. Due to the injuries he sustained during the alleged attack, he requires a hearing aid.

The lawyer for the suspect, a teenager, said he should avoid a prison sentence because he had taken steps to improve his life.

She said the boy was living in a home at the time but had since been returned to the care of his father, who was in court to support him.

The teen’s lawyer and a youth advocate insisted he would avoid a prison sentence if sentenced in juvenile court next month (photo, police on scene in September)

A juvenile justice attorney supported the defense attorney’s position and urged that the teen instead receive community service.

The presiding magistrate told the court he would take the victim’s impact statements into account before sentencing the teenager.

He said the remaining charges are “something the community doesn’t want to deal with.”

The magistrate added that the public would ask him “why don’t you lock him up” if they were allowed to attend the hearing.

He will return to court next month to be sentenced.