Gold Coast teenager fronts court after allegedly stabbing female Uber driver outside Westfield Coomera

A teenager has fronted court accused of stabbing a female Uber driver in a late-night alleged attack.

The 32-year-old woman was found semi-conscious with multiple stab wounds by a Westfield security guard on Foxwell Rd in Coomera about 1.25am on Wednesday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Female uber dirver critical after being stabbed by teenager

Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher said the victim had been stabbed in the head, neck and back by her passenger after booking a ride from Hope Island to Coomera.

Having been left injured in the car for one to two hours, she was eventually discovered and rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition.

The 16-year-old Gold Coast teen had his case briefly mentioned on Thursday, facing a string of serious charges including acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, armed robbery and deprivation of liberty.

The court heard that the woman had sustained “defensive injuries” during her struggle with her alleged teenage attacker.

Magistrate Andrew Bamberry told the court the entire incident had been captured on Westfield Coomera’s security cameras, saying police already had a “strong and compelling case” against the teen.

The 16-year-old appeared emotionless on video link and made no application for bail and was remanded in custody.

Outside court, the teenager’s mother refused to answer questions from reporters.

The prosecution successfully applied for a DNA order for a recovered a bloodied shirt to confirm who it belongs to.

A brief of evidence is due by October 9, with the matter adjourned until October 29.

The alleged attack has sparked renewed calls for tougher safety rules in the rideshare industry.

“The complete lack of regulation for Uber and other gig companies is really shocking, and we wouldn’t tolerate it in any other kind of workplace,” Transport Workers’ Union spokesperson Josh Millroy said.

Rideshare drivers also voiced concerns about restrictions in Queensland preventing cameras inside vehicles.

“They should have stickers inside the door that clearly state there will be audio and video taken inside the car,“ driver Graham Curry told 7NEWS.

“The safety issue has been an issue from day one.

“The rideshare companies are not going to do anything about it, so we need to do it here.”

Uber said it was “shocked and saddened” by the attack and is keeping the driver in its thoughts.

Under Queensland’s Adult Crime, Adult Time laws, the teenager faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted of an offence intended to cause grievous bodily harm.