Juvenile car thief’s three-month crime spree across Central Queensland and up to Cairns

A juvenile offender’s three-month crime spree across Queensland involved stealing alcohol from three pubs, items from three supermarkets and driving in 11 stolen cars. See a full list of his crimes.

Scene outside Allenstown Hotel

A juvenile offender’s three-month crime spree across Queensland involved stealing alcohol from three pubs, items from three supermarkets and driving in 11 stolen cars.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, entered pleas of guilty to 36 offences in Rockhampton District Court this week.

Among the crimes was a robbery at the Gracemere Hotel bottle shop where the offender and friends stole a carton of rum, and a staff member was shoved.

The child was also busted driving 11 times in stolen cars in Mackay, Duaringa, the Rockhampton region and on the Capricorn Coast.

The full scope of the offences took place between February 4, 2022, and May 1, 2022, in Duaringa, Westwood, Gracemere, Park Avenue, Lammermoor, Mulambin, Rockhampton CBD, Norman Gardens, Mackay, Allenstown, Parkhurst, Taranganba, Glenmore and Cairns.

The offender was in the company of others when they used a hammer to smash open the door of the Allenstown Hotel on April 19, stealing alcohol, and then the next day, smashed open the front door of the Westwood Hotel, stealing more alcohol.

The Swaggies Westwood Hotel, taken in June 2022.

He returned to the Westwood Hotel with others on April 28 and stole more alcohol.

The stolen cars included a Holden Commodore, Jeep Wrangler, a Nissan, a Mazda CX5, a Ford Ranger and a Mercedes Benz, which were used to carry out multiple fuel drive-offs across Central Queensland including at Duaringa.

The boy also pleaded guilty to charges involving looking in cars for items to steal, including in a Holden Commodore at Park Avenue, a Honda hatchback and Toyota Landcruiser at Lammermoor, and attempting to get into a Holden Colorado at Taranganba.

The juvenile stole gloves from the Foodworks store on Lakes Creek Road and stole phones and groceries from Drakes IGA at Glenmore after smashing the front door.

He was also with a group who smashed the front door of Coles Express, stealing food and lighters.

Police chased him in Cairns after he ran away while police were trying to arrest him and on the same day, police observed him riding a bicycle they suspected was stolen.

The boy was remanded in custody, a pre-sentence report was ordered and his sentence date was set for December 6.