QLD boy faces Childrens Court after 400km Bruce Hwy joyride with mates
A juvenile and his mates stole a woman’s Kia Sportage at Gladstone and went on a 400km-plus Bruce Hwy joyride down the Queensland coast before dumping the vehicle, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A juvenile teamed up with mates to steal a car at Gladstone before going on a 400km-plus Bruce Hwy joyride, a court has heard.
The boy, 17, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Childrens Court to enter premises with intent, attempted enter premises with intent, unlawful use of motor vehicle in company, and unlicensed driving.
The court heard the first offence of attempted enter premises with intent happened on February 28.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Pedau Grabbe said at 4.38am, the boy was seen on CCTV walking into an open carport at Adelaide Street, Gladstone.
There, he attempted to open the door of a woman’s car.
The court heard the boy later told police it was him and he had been “searching vehicles for money.”
Then on March 12, a woman parked her white Kia Sportage in the carpark at her unit complex in Central Lane, Gladstone.
Snr Const Grabbe said two days later, the woman noticed her car was missing and she reported it to police.
The prosecutor said police obtained CCTV footage which showed the boy and three co-offenders approach the woman’s car about 10.20pm on March 13.
She said the boy was seen opening the driver’s side door and the co-offenders searched the vehicle.
The court heard the quartet then left, but they returned to the car about 11.35pm.
All of them got into the car - the boy in the driver’s seat - and they drove off.
Snr Const Grabbe said at 4.56am, the car was seen heading south on the Bruce Highway.
The prosecutor said when the boy was later questioned by police, he told them the group had decided to drive to the Sunshine Coast.
The boy said they had stopped for fuel at a Caltex service station, which he paid for.
The boy said he then drove the group to Gympie - it was there they swapped drivers and a co-offender drove the rest of the way to the Sunshine Coast.
The boy said when they arrived, they left the car and walked to a bus stop.
He said they got a bus ride to the train station and then they got a train to Roma St in Brisbane.
The court heard one of the boy’s relatives drove the group back to Miriam Vale where they got a lift back to Gladstone.
Snr Const Grabbe said when Sunshine Coast police found the Kia Sportage, it was not damaged.
The court heard the boy had never held a Queensland driver’s licence - not even a learner’s permit.
It was told he had no prior offending of this sort on his history and he had completed a restorative justice order for different offending.
Snr Const Grabbe submitted for a “lengthy” period of probation.
Solicitor Bianca Wieland said the boy was born and raised in Gladstone, and he didn’t have a reason for the offending - he was “just being silly” and was sorry for what he had done.
She said the boy had gone to school to Year 11 and was currently on Jobseeker and looking for work.
“He would be agreeable to a period of probation,” Ms Wieland said.
She said the boy’s mum was in court to support him.
Magistrate Mary Buchanan placed the boy on eight months’ probation, ordered he perform 40 hours’ of unpaid community service, and disqualified him from driving for one month.
No convictions were recorded.
Jury prepares to begin deliberations in murder trial
Closing statements have been made and the jury is being prepared to begin its deliberations in the trial of a landlord accused of murdering his tenant.
Missing Qld man’s family takes major step in search for answers
Kellie Moody is taking matters into her own hands as she ramps up the search for her son, Jack McLennan, who has been missing for more than six months.