Teenage girl involved in Southern Expressway crash and police chase ‘wanted adrenaline rush’ and was on a previous bond, court told
EXCLUSIVE: A teenage girl involved in Tuesday’s horrific freeway crash and high-speed chase wanted “an adrenaline rush” and was on a bond for 20 prior offences including assault and car theft.
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A TEENAGE girl involved in Tuesday’s horrific freeway crash and high-speed chase wanted “an adrenaline rush” and was on a bond at the time for 20 crimes including assault and car theft.
On Friday the girl, 17, asked the Youth Court to grant her bail, saying she was “petrified” of detention and blaming “a poor peer group” for her latest alleged offending.
However, Magistrate Luke Davis — who released her on a bond just two months ago — said joy-riding in the stolen $114,000 Mercedes-Benz meant the girl had “gone past” mercy.
“I gave you a lot of leniency and talked to you about the choices you have to make in life,” he said.
“Now someone has turned up with a hot Mercedes and you’ve jumped in and enjoyed yourself with your mates ... you knew what you were up to and the implications of it.
“You have told counsellors you seek an adrenaline rush in offending ... I will be frank with you, this is disastrous for you.
“I have to protect the community from this type of outrageous offending, and you need to get the message that you can’t just go around doing what you want without consequences.
“You rolled the dice and, in my view, in terms of bail, you’ve really lost.”
The girl and her four alleged co-offenders were arrested on Tuesday following a crash on the Southern Expressway and a police pursuit through the suburbs.
The driver of another vehicle, a Barina, was injured in the crash and is in critical condition in hospital.
Following the incident, The Advertiser revealed police pursuits on South Australian roads had almost doubled over three years — from 325 in 2012/13 to 606 last year.
On Friday, police opposed the girl being released on any form of bail given the seriousness of the incident.
Defence counsel Andrew Graham said the “full circumstances” of the chase should not be held against his client when considering bail.
He said there was no evidence she was present when the Mercedes was allegedly stolen at St Clair, had not driven the car and was only ever a passenger.
He said that, when her alleged co-offenders abandoned the car, she had “initially hidden” but then surrendered herself to police.
“Her issue is a poor peer group ... she was petrified in the cells ... these events have really had a huge effect on her,” he said.
Mr Davis was not swayed.
“Two months ago, you appeared before me for 20 offences committed between February and September this year,” he said.
“They included illegal use of a motor vehicle, driving without a licence, assault, aggravated assault, dishonesty and breaching bail.
“You display an anti-authority disposition — in other words, you have a bad attitude to authority and society, and display that in what you do.”
Mr Davis remanded the girl in custody to face court again in January.