‘Armed with a rock’: Kids rob elderly Annandale couple

A court has heard a teen boy involved in the armed invasion of an elderly couple’s home spent 21 days confined to his room in Cleveland because of staffing shortages.

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

A court has heard a teen boy arrested for his involvement in an armed home invasion in Annandale has spent 21 days confined to his room due to staffing shortages in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

The 16-year-old boy, who will be referred to as CK as his identity cannot be revealed, appeared in Townsville District Court on Monday.

The court was told he spent a total of 108 days in detention - 83 of those were “days of separation”, 28 “days of confinement” and 18 were confinement days where he spent more than 12 hours locked in his room.

The boy’s defence barrister said some leniency should be shown to CK because of the extra hardships he faced in detention due to staffing shortages.

Judge Gregory Lynham was completely unimpressed when details of the boy’s crimes were read out in court.

“It can’t be lost on you that people in Townsville are sick and tired of young fellas like you breaking into houses and stealing their cars, something has got to give,” Judge Lynham told the teen.

The Cleveland Bay Youth Detention Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

“Get an education and ultimately get a job, because the way you’re going at the moment you’re on a downward spiral.”

Judge Lynham pointed out that both lawyers had placed him in a position where he couldn’t sentence CK to detention because no pre-sentence report was filed.

The court heard crown prosecutor Ashley Gaden had initially requested a pre-sentence report, but CK’s defence team argued it wasn’t appropriate given the time the boy was already spending in Cleveland, the low culpability of the charges and CK’s limited criminal history at the time of the home invasion.

If no pre-sentence report is prepared, a judge cannot sentence a child to detention.

Judge Gregory Lynham.

CK pleaded guilty to burglary by breaking in company, robbery in company, and entering premises with intent.

All crimes were committed on October 24, 2023, when CK was involved with a masked duo who entered an Annandale home around 1pm.

Crown prosecutor Gaden said the elderly occupants - a couple in their 70s - were having an afternoon nap at the time.

“An unidentified offender appeared in the doorway of the elderly female’s bedroom,” Ms Gaden said.

“Another unidentified offender was in the living room armed with a rock that had been placed in a piece of material to form a sling. The armed offender appeared to swing the make-shift weapon towards the female.”

The keys to a Toyota Kluger and two wallets were stolen off the kitchen table during the confrontation and the unarmed offender got into the Kluger and drove away.

A generic picture of a 2021 Toyota Kluger GXL Hybrid.

The armed offender with the rock-sling remained in the driveway, before fleeing into a nearby Toyota Hilux.

“The female armed herself with a broom and walked down her own driveway towards the offender, that offender driving the Hilux towards (her),” Ms Gaden said.

“She was forced to get out of the way to avoid being hit.”

A police investigation found the couple’s Mazda CX had been broken into and “rummaged” through but nothing was ultimately taken, and the Kluger was found abandoned in Beligan Garden within a few hours.

Fingerprint analysis identified CK as being at the scene, and he was arrested that night.

CK received a period of four months probation, to be served in the community.

Originally published as ‘Armed with a rock’: Kids rob elderly Annandale couple