South Burnett teen pleads guilty at Kingaroy to car theft, robbery

A serial teenage offender’s latest crime spree across the South Burnett came undone when he lost his mobile phone – and all the incriminating videos – at a victim’s home.

A serial teenage offender’s latest crime spree across the South Burnett came undone when police found his phone left in a victim’s home, complete with incriminating videos uploaded to Snapchat.

A serial teenage offender’s latest crime spree across the South Burnett came undone when police found his phone left in a victim’s home, complete with incriminating videos uploaded to Snapchat.

Published Queensland Children’s Court documents reveal the teen’s two-day crime spree which ended with his arrest began on the night of October 3, 2023 when a Hyundai stolen from Brisbane was seen at Murgon Bakery around midnight.

The youth, who cannot be named, was sitting in the passenger seat while another juvenile threw rocks through the bakery window.

At 1am on October 5, the boy and other offenders were seen at a Murgon service station in the Hyundai, before smashing their way inside and stealing over $500 worth of property.

Judge Gary Long said the teen uploaded footage he took of the incident to Snapchat and also “tagged” the rear panel of the car, damaging the vehicle.

The boy answered to a string of crimes including carjacking, breaking and entering, and stealing. Picture: Supplied.

The document said about 24 hours later a homeowner woke to the sound of smashing glass, and found a man holding a spanner inside his laundry room.

When the offender opened the laundry door to let another man inside the homeowner tried to close the door, but its glass was smashed and the door forced back open by a second man.

The homeowner was knocked over, cutting his forearm and feet.

The document said the two robbers, one of whom was the teen, obtained the homeowner’s car keys and fled.

The two offenders, later identified on CCTV, stole the homeowner’s Toyota Corolla, met up with others who were driving the Hyundai stolen from Brisbane and drove off together.

Police finally located them at a Murgon service station, and the offenders fled on foot.

Investigators then found the teen’s phone and, on October 6, 2023, he was arrested while sleeping at a Cherbourg property.

It was the end of a string of offending by the teen related to a series of car thefts started in August, 2023, the document said.

These included riding in a stolen Mercedes Benz and black Nissan Dualis, and stealing.

The boy appearance at Kingaroy Courthouse marked his third time in court in under 12 months. The judge warned that continued disobedience would send him on a trajectory of cyclic incarceration. Picture: Kate Darvall.

The document said the teen had been sentenced in April, 2023, to one year of probation for offences including robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Judge Long said there were identified “some things which provide some prospects of hope for your future,” including the teen’s doing some work for his uncle.

He warned the teen not taking advantage of the guidance given to him could ultimately land him in jail as an adult.

The teen pleaded guilty to 11 offences including three counts of unlawfully using a motor vehicle at night, two counts of stealing, single counts of attempted stealing, wilful damage, break-and-enter, burglary at night, armed robbery, and publishing material in relation to the unlawful use of a motor vehicle at night.

The judge placed him on a two-year probation, and he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.