Oakey teen sentenced after ‘terrifying’ home invasion at Warwick, keys stolen

A teenager has been sentenced after a ‘terrifying’ home invasion in which a Warwick man woke to find two youths standing over him and stealing his keys.

A teenage girl, who along with another underage co-offender, broke into a Warwick home in the dead of night and stole car keys located next to a sleeping man, has been sentenced.

The child - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and stealing in the Children’s Court of Queensland on November 21.

The court was told how the then 15-year-old entered a 44-year-old man’s address at Warwick by removing the fly screen on the door, along with a co-offender in November of 2022.

Neither of the pair of offenders knew the victim.

The man had his car keys next to his bed, and woke in the middle of the night to the two youth offenders standing over him in his own bedroom.

The victim chased the pair, who had pinched the keys and eventually restrained the girl, getting bruised in the process.

The court was told however young offender eventually made off with the keys, but dropped several of her belongings which lead to her identification.

In the aftermath, other offenders attempted to steal the man’s car with the keys, however, the child was not involved.

Defence lawyer Jess Goldie told the court on Monday the teenager from Oakey had accumulated an additional three entries on her criminal history since this offending.

Judge John Allen KC recounted the events as a “terrifying experience to have two strangers standing over him … you would have gotten a scare yourself”.

Judge Allen noted the child had positive prospects and things were “looking up” as she was engaged with education and complying with legal requirements.

“In your interest that you continue taking positive steps, a probation order would support that,” Judge Allen said.

The girl was sentenced to a six month probation order. No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Oakey teen sentenced after ‘terrifying’ home invasion at Warwick, keys stolen