Man and woman to appear in court after Gracemere Hino truck allegedly stolen

Two people will appear in Rockhampton court after an accused truck theft allegedly saw a puppy injured, fences destroyed and a police car rammed.

This is Harper - the one-year-old rescue pup who was injured in the frenzy. Supplied: Stephanie Cupitt

Charges have been laid against two people following the alleged theft of a Hino truck and the ramming of a police car.
Police allege that the white Hino truck was stolen from a Gladstone Road property on March 6.
The vehicle was seen on the same day allegedly driving dangerously on the Burnett Highway near Bouldercombe and are accused of reversing into a police car at Poison Creek Road and fleeing the scene.
Local property owners are picking up the pieces after the alleged rampage, after fences were destroyed on two Middle Road properties.

Stephanie and Scott Cupitt were relaxing in their home on Thursday afternoon before sudden chaos awoke them. Supplied: Stephanie Cupitt

A 20-year-old Gracemere man has been charged with 17 offences including damaging an emergency vehicle when operating a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, breach of bail, wilful damage, burglary and enter premise and commit.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear before Rockhampton Magistrates Court on April 30.

A 29-year-old Park Avenue woman has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and advertising involvement on social media.
A Gracemere family’s one-year-old rescue dog is recovering at home after being hit by the allegedly stolen truck.
Stephanie Cupitt said Harper the dog had returned home from the vet surgery.
“She has a very quiet few weeks ahead while she recovers,” she posted on Facebook.
The family spoke out after thieves allegedly smashed through their yard, injuring their one-year-old pup and destroying their fence and clothesline.

Stephanie and Scott Cupitt were relaxing in their home on Thursday afternoon before sudden chaos awoke them. Supplied: Stephanie Cupitt

Stephanie and Scott Cupitt were relaxing in their home on Thursday afternoon when they were woken by the noise of the truck.

“I ran downstairs to see what was going on and saw the truck taking off up the street,” Stephanie said.

She said the truck had allegedly driven through her back neighbour’s yard and had taken down all of their fences and clothesline.

“They (allegedly) only just missed our house and ploughed straight through the house yard where our three boys and dogs usually play,” Stephanie said.

“We were in absolute shock,” Stephanie said.

She alleged the truck drove away with our clothesline dragging behind it.

“We were both so angry and frustrated.”

Stephanie said Harper was a rescue dog and had to be taken to the local vet.

“She has bleeding on her lungs and had multiple scrapes and marks all over her,” she said.

The Cupitt family had moved from their previous home at The Range, where people had tried to get into their cars, to the Gracemere area more than 12 months ago.

Until this week, they had “generally felt much safer” living a little of town but crime seemed “to be getting worse again”.

The remnants of Stephanie and Scott’s boundary fence. Supplied: Stephanie Cupitt

“We are just so thankful that our family and neighbours weren’t in the yards at the time and that our pup should make a full recovery,” Stephanie said.

“The fencing and damaged property can be replaced, lives cannot.

“Honestly, we are just bewildered and can’t believe that it actually happened.”

“My husband had to take a shift off work so he could get the fences temporarily replaced so our yard was secure for our family and dogs.”

The owners of the stolen Hino truck were contacted but chose to provide no comment.

They have made a formal complaint to police.

Police have responded to reports of reckless driving in Gracemere.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said a crew in an unmarked car was uninjured after their car rolled over into a ditch after it was reversed into by a white Hino cab truck at 1.35pm in the Bouldercombe area, 20 minutes south of Rockhampton.

She said the police crew had sighted the truck along Poison Creek Road as they patrolled the area after reports of the vehicle being stolen from a Gracemere address about 11.50am.

The truck was then driven into the police vehicle before the driver fled the scene.

Officers were not physically injured.

The residents of a property on Middle Road were away from home when they got a call from police and neighbours about 1.40pm to inform them the Hino truck had driven through their property.

The resident said he arrived back at the house shortly afterwards to find the stolen truck had smashed through their front gate, snapping off a strainer post, driven through their garden bed beside the house and then burst through their back fence into the neighbour’s yard.

Police have responded to reports of a rammed vehicle and a damaged fence in Bouldercombe and Gracemere

The Middle Road resident said the neighbours, who were home at the time, heard the truck roaring down the side of their house before it was dumped nearby in Douglas Street.

He said the truck had knocked down 40m of his back fence and the cost of repairs all-round would be expensive.

Multiple police vehicles were seen to be patrolling at 2.40pm the area near where the truck was dumped, and a tow truck had also turned up to pick up the truck.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.