Teen armed robber uses counterfeit note, rams St Vinnie’s gate
A convicted teenage robber who used a stolen car to ram Vinnies so he could steal another vehicle has been busted using counterfeit money.
Police & Courts
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A convicted teenage armed robber who used a stolen car to ram the gate of a not-for-profit organisation so he could steal another vehicle has fronted court for those offences, along with using counterfeit money.
The offender, aged 16, was already subject to an 18-month probation order for a robbery sentence handed to him in the Children’s Court of Queensland, along with being on bail for other offences including an unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing petrol.
He entered pleas of guilty to nine offences in Rockhampton Children’s Court on December 30, including three offences committed against the charity organisation St Vincent de Paul on December 28 – wilful damage, unlawful use of a motor vehicle used to commit an indictable offence in the night and unlawful use of a motor vehicle at night.
His other charges included two counts of enter premises and commit an indictable offence – one was by break, another unlawful use of a motor vehicle, a stealing offence.
The teen, who cannot be identified due to his age, was sentenced this morning for those nine offences along with a fresh charge which he entered a plea to – fraud – using a $100 counterfeit note to purchase a drink at Foodworks in George Street, Rockhampton, on December 15.
Rockhampton Police issued a warning to business owners and the general public on January 15 about the circulation of counterfeit $100 notes after receiving six reports from businesses across the city since December 2024.
The presented counterfeit currency is of poor quality and clearly states ‘COPY’ and has no clear window.
The court heard the juvenile had a four-page criminal record which included the conviction for robbery while armed and unlawful use of a motor vehicle handed to him in May 2024.
During a bail application on December 30, police prosecutor Clancy Fox said the teen broke into the building at Allenstown on December 28 at night, using a vehicle to ram the gate and then stealing another vehicle.
According to the charges read out in court when the juvenile entered his pleas, the vehicle used to ram the gate belonged to Suncoast Rural Pty.
Mr Fox said the teen used the second vehicle to commit other offences, including unlawful use of a motor vehicle at night.
The teen also pleaded guilty to an unlawful use of a motor vehicle on December 12 in Rockhampton and to stealing fuel from a Yeppoon petrol station that same day.
He also pleaded guilty to entering a premise and committing an indictable offence on December 14 and an unlawful use of a motor vehicle in Mount Morgan on December 29.
Defence lawyer Sean Gibbs said his client aspired to enter an electrical apprenticeship after he completes Year 12 at the end of 2025.
He said the child attributed his offending to “associating with the wrong crowd” during school holidays.
“He spent a significant time in the watch house (after his failed bail application),” Mr Gibbs said.
He said his client spent one week in the Rockhampton watch house and another week in Caboolture before a bed became available at a detention centre.
The court had previously heard the teen had also attributed his offending had escalated in the past year because of a lack of contact with his mother, who lives in another state.
Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said the presentence report was positive and stated the teenager had shown insight, empathy, demonstrated remorse and an “understanding of the hurt that (he) caused and the trauma for other people”.
She said it was also positive that he was willing to engage in education.
The court heard the teen will remain on the Queensland Children’s Court probation order until November 2025 and still has 44 hours of a community service order to complete from that sentence.
Ms Beckinsale sentenced him to a three-months detention with a three-month conditional release order, with immediate release from detention.
No convictions were recorded.
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