Juvenile car thief with 15-page criminal record stole mercedes benz, jewellery, booze and cash

A juvenile offender with 151 convictions, deemed to act as a ‘leader’ among peer juvenile criminals, has little empathy for his victims, a court report outlined.

A juvenile offender with 151 convictions on his 15-page criminal children’s court record, deemed to act as a ‘leader’ among peer juvenile criminals, has little empathy for his victims and that may be due to a language barrier, a court report outlined.

The juvenile, now 18, was 17 when he went on a crime spree, stealing a Mercedes Benz, robbing liquor stores, throwing six packs of alcohol at bottle shop employees and stealing $4,500 worth of jewellery plus $3260 cash from one victim.

A court report was provided to Rockhampton District Court this month during sentencing for 13 offences the juvenile committed.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the defendant’s criminal record, starting when he was 12 years old, consisted of 40 prior stealing from people offences, more than 20 stealing from shops, more than 10 possessing tainted property, more than 10 fail to appear in court charges, more than 10 charges of obstructing police, charges for stolen cars, burglaries, assaults, attempted robbery with violence, trespass, drugs, damaging property and entering premises.

He said the defendant’s presentence report showed he had been placed on probation six times and subject to a restorative justice order once.

Judge Clarke said it also outlined the teenager had been exposed to domestic violence, criminal behaviour and substance abuse in the family home, with Child Safety intervening when he was about three years old .

It had been documented that the defendant had run away from home and was not supervised.

“At your young age, you have already, for a long period of time, have used alcohol and used inhalants chroming by sniffing glue for many years,” he said.

“You told the report writer you were not going to keep doing that because it made you crook and hopefully you will not return to that as it is very harmful to your growing brain.

“You have, over the years, fallen in with a peer group, who you sometimes lead, who are very interested in committing offences.

“You told the report writer that you were either high – that is affected by the glue – or you were bored or just slack and looking for something to do (when committing offences).

“It is acknowledged that you had very limited engagement in education and you unfortunately, as a consequence, experience poor language expression skills.”

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said the report writer had gauged the juvenile’s comprehension of how his actions impacted others, but he was unable to do so.

He said the report writer wrote “the above responses appear to be reflective of (the defendant’s) language difficulties and the ability to express more than basic language responses”.

Crown prosecutor Tessa Wormsley said the juvenile’s offending period for the 13 charges was between August 28, 2021, and March 28, 2021.

The 13 charges include one count of common assault, one of attempted robbery in company, four counts of stealing, two counts of burglary and stealing, three of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, one count of burglary by break in the night while in company and possessing tainted property.

Ms Wormsley said the defendant, with associates, grabbed bottles of alcohol from Liquorland in Stockland Rockhampton and ran out of the store without paying, twice – the first on August 28 and second on October 2 – stealing $357 of alcohol.

Ms Wormsley said the defendant and others attended Bob’s Bulk Booze on October 2, 2021, and attempted to gain entry.

She said the defendant tried to gain entry by “sprinting towards the door” but an employee pushed him back.

Ms Wormsley said the defendant threw a punch at the employee but missed.

She said the group travelled to the Victoria Tavern where the bottle shop employee went to get their manager upon seeing the juveniles.

Ms Wormsley said as the employee left, the defendant and a co-accused entered the shop and went to opposite sides of the store, collecting bottles of alcohol.

She said the employee returned and grabbed the defendant’s shirt.

“The defendant threw a six pack at the employee, striking his forehead and he then smashed another six pack on the top of his head,” Ms Wormsley said.

She said the employee fell to the ground while holding the defendant’s shirt.

Ms Wormsley said the defendant then stood over the employee and repeatedly punched them in the face.

She said the co-offender threw a bottle of bourbon at the employee which struck his leg, and then another bottle which narrowly missed.

The pair then ran off.

The defendant was located the following morning wearing the same clothing seen in CCTV at the tavern.

He was arrested and remanded in custody for eight days where he was placed on conditional bail and went on to commit more offences within a week of being released.

The defendant then used a stolen remote control to enter the garage of a house, stealing $3360 cash, an engagement ring worth $3900 and diamond earrings worth $699.

“He was captured on CCTV leaving the house with the items,” Ms Wormsley said.

She said 12 days later the defendant and co-offender stole a Toyota Hilux which had been parked outside the Sun Palms hotel and an hour later, it was captured on CCTV taking $46 of petrol from a service station, driving off without paying.

“They drove and abandoned the Hilux at Hidden Valley,” Ms Wormsley said.

“At 4.20am, they entered a house by an unlocked door and stole a wallet … car keys and drove off in a Mercedes Benz parked in the garage.

“The defendant drove the Mercedes Benz to EG Fuels and pumped $77 of fuel before leaving without paying.

“The Mercedes Benz was located later that day in Depot Hill after a witness observed the defendant and co-offender walking away from the car and entering a residence.

“Police attended the address and found the defendant asleep in the bedroom.

“The keys to the stolen Hilux and Mercedes were in a bedroom within the co-offender’s backpack.”

She said the defendant was arrested and remanded in custody from October 29 to January 19.

Ms Wormsley said the juvenile was next captured on CCTV on March 28 at 4.45am with other juveniles opening a security screen of a window of a house and climb in.

“The owner of the home was woken and observed the defendant halfway through the window and yelled at him.

“The defendant and the group relocated to the front of the house.

“They entered the homeowner‘s car and drove away.

“The car was located later that day with the defendant’s fingerprints on the rear driver’s side roll bar.”

The defendant was located, arrested and remanded in custody from April 8.

He spent 276 days in detention before his sentencing.

Judge Clarke said the defendant had undertaken courses for training and education while he was in custody, and had been moved into the gold unit which is a reward for good behaviour.

Mr Ahlstrand said his client had support out in the community with his sister, who was willing to have him reside with her, in court in support.

The court heard the juvenile wanted to work in concreting, which Judge Clarke commended him on and encouraged him to do.

Judge Clarke sentenced the juvenile to 15 months detention, suspended after serving 60 per cent (or 270 days) and then placed him on a supervised release order, along with a two-month good behaviour order.

No convictions were recorded.