Stolen cars hits Cairns record as youth crime victim Sarah Martin tells story of break-in

A mum has told how her phone was snatched from right under the pillow she was sleeping on as Cairns is in the midst of a fierce crime wave, with record numbers of cars stolen. Read her story.

A SINGLE mum whose house got broken into twice in the span of a couple months has told of how her phone was snatched from right beneath her pillow as Cairns is set to hit 900 stolen cars by Friday.

On September 7, 899 cars had been stolen, 37 in September and 91 in August. The stolen car record has clearly surpassed 2021 which had 782 taken.

Sarah Martin, of Bentley Park, had her car stolen earlier in the year, a separate break-in and previous attempts have been made to get into her home.

Ms Martin said she had gotten so scared to live alone with her seven-year-old son that she was moving in with her mum.

Single mother Sarah Martin has had her Bentley Park home broken into twice, with the offenders taking the keys to her car from her bedroom and stealing the vehicle. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It makes us feel vulnerable, that’s why we are moving out of our home,” she said.

“I am moving back with our mum now that dad’s passed away. It’s for both of us, we don’t feel safe here and I want to protect her too.”

Ms Martin said both experiences traumatised both herself and her son.

“The first one they broke in and they came into my room that I sleep in with my son and stole my handbag from under my bed and stole my wallet and keys in it,” she said.

“I got my car back about five days later.

“The first time me and my kid were sleeping, I am so grateful we didn’t wake up.”

Two months later, Ms Martin got broken into again but she was on her own.

Ms Martin said the repeated break-ins are taking their toll on her son’s mental wellbeing. Picture: Brendan Radke

“They came into the room and took my phone from charge under the pillow. They yanked the charger cord and took my phone,” she said.

Months after both incidents Ms Martin said she could see the effects the break-ins have had on her son.

“My seven-year-old is still scared. I wake up at three in the morning just to check my cameras,” she said.

“It’s caused him a lot of anxiety and clinginess to me. He got suspended from school a couple times, he basically didn’t want to be there, he wanted to be with me to protect me.”

Ms Martin said it was absolutely scary Cairns would hit 900 stolen cars this year.

But she had learnt a couple of lessons from her experience.

“If you haven’t locked the screen door with the key they can cut fly screen and open it with the latch,” she said.

The stolen car record comes as Minister for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard met with anti-youth crime advocate Perri Conti.

On Wednesday Ms Linard said more could be done to fix FNQ’s youth crime scourge.

Originally published as Stolen cars hits Cairns record as youth crime victim Sarah Martin tells story of break-in