New charges for teen accused of killing grandma in stolen car crash

The teenager accused of crashing a stolen car and killing an innocent grandmother has been charged with new attempted robbery and vehicle theft offences.

Murrumba Downs crash victim Rosemary Franzidis. Pic: Supplied

The teenager accused of crashing a stolen car north of Brisbane last month and killing an innocent grandmother behind the wheel of another car, has been hit with four new charges.

Rosemary Franzidis, 69, died on November 7 after an allegedly stolen Audi allegedly driven by a 16-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age – ploughed into her sedan while she was driving on Dohles Rocks Rd at Murrumba Downs.

The youth was originally charged with two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, as well as one count each of manslaughter, armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and breach of bail over the crash involving Ms Franzidis and the events leading up to it.

In Brisbane Children’s Court on Tuesday, he was the subject of four new charges which occurred on the same date – two fresh counts of attempted robbery, as well as one charge each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Police senior prosecutor Tom Winks said the brief of evidence for the six original charges was due on January 16 next year.

The scene of the horror crash that killed the much-loved grandmother. Picture: Channel 9

Mr Winks said the aim was to have the brief of evidence for the four new charges ready by February 4 next year.

Legal Aid Queensland senior lawyer Rajiv Gill, representing the accused youth, did not make a bail application on behalf of his client on Tuesday.

The teenage defendant appeared via videolink from the youth detention centre.

Magistrate Megan Power adjourned the case to February 4 next year for further mention.

Neither Magistrate Power nor any of the legal representatives involved voiced any concerns about the presence of media representatives in the courtroom, or made any application to exclude journalists from hearing the proceeding.

This is in stark contrast to when this case was first heard in the Children’s Court in November, where journalists were ultimately excluded from hearing the proceeding in full.

It follows the State Parliament passing the LNP Government’s new Making Queensland Safer laws on Thursday.

The Children’s Court case on Tuesday was the first test of the LNP Government’s new Making Queensland Safer laws, which were passed by State Parliament last Thursday and took effect on Friday, December 13.