Serial Mackay youth criminal pleads guilty to armed robbery, car arson

A serial teen criminal, who slashed a man’s arm with a knife during an armed robbery, suffered serious burns to 12 per cent of his body after he set fire to a stolen vehicle.

A serial Mackay teen criminal who slashed a man’s arm with a knife during an armed robbery, suffered serious burns to 12 per cent of his body after he set fire to a stolen vehicle.

The now 17 year old had to spend 16 days in a burns unit in Brisbane where skin grafts were attached to his lower body.

Barrister Scott McLennan said this was punishment above and beyond any detention sentence.

Children’s Court of Queensland, sitting in Mackay, heard the teen had gone on a crime spree on April 28 and 29, 2021 in Mackay and Sarina.

He stole multiple cars including a red Holden Colorado, which was later found torched at the Hume St and Cemetery Rd intersection about 11am on August 29 as well as clothing belonging to the teen.

A red Holden Colorado was stolen from a Rural View home overnight on August 28, 2021 from 11pm and found 12 hours later set on fire in West Mackay.

“(He) was treated for petrol burns at Mackay Base (Hospital) … he suffered 12 per cent burns to his legs, buttocks, hands,” Crown prosecutor Siobhan Harrison said.

The court heard the teen was also involved in a robbery at the Sarina Beach fuel station – he was wearing a blue mask and armed with a knife when he demanded cash.

He forced the till open with the knife and took $100 cash and later slashed a worker across the arm with the knife when he wouldn’t hand over car keys.

The teen has at least a 13-page criminal history that includes 23 convictions for unlawful use of a motor vehicle, 12 for stealing and multiple armed robberies.

On one occasion, he was armed with a knife when he robbed a service station, taking $645 and cigarettes while he was on probation.

He also slashed a man’s arm during an armed robbery at a Sarina service station.

Ms Harrison said the teen had also been involved in the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre riot in March 2020 that caused about $200,000 worth of damage to the facility.

The court heard one of the car thefts involved him suffering serious brain injuries when a stolen car crashed.

He has previously received periods of detention with conditional release orders that have later been breached with more offending. He has also breached probation and community service orders.

Mr McLennan said his client had needed two skin grafts and until a few weeks prior had to wear compression garments on the burned areas.

“He’s going to have to be very cautious about direct exposure to sunlight to the areas which were burned for the rest of his life,” Mr McLennan said.

“There’s been some significant extra curial punishment here as a result of the burns.”

The court heard he had been behaving in detention this time, more so than previous times, and had been working – he had received no bad reports.

The teen has been in custody for some time and will be release at the end of May.

“He told me in relation to his release, ‘I’m going to try and get a job, anything really to keep me occupied and busy,” Mr McLennan said.

The teen, who cannot be named under Queensland law, pleaded guilty to a string of offences including arson, armed robbery, assault causing bodily harm, burglary and car theft.

He told Judge Deborah Richards he planned to behave when released.

“This offending, particularly the robbery of that service station where you slashed the arm of that person, that was really serious,” Judge Richards said.

“I know, that was very stupid of me, I should of took a second and thought,” the teen said via video link.

“It was more than stupid, it was really dangerous … and of course with those burns you’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself,” Judge Richards said.

The teen was given a 15-month detention order with supervised release at the 50 per cent mark on May 14, 2022. The order will finish on December 28 this year.