Teen fled hit-and-run scene after he ran over an 18-year-old man while doing burnout on Yaamba Road

Teen sentenced for running over 18-year-old at major intersection on Christmas Eve as he attempted to do a burnout.

A young man spent last Christmas in Rockhampton Hospital fighting for his life after a juvenile ran him over in a stolen car while attempting to do a burnout.

After running over the victim, the juvenile became panicked and left the scene, believing the 18-year-old victim to be “close to death”.

The 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on August 16 to one count of enter premises with intent to commit an indictable offence.

The court heard the defendant had pleaded guilty to 14 charges on July 15, including assault occasioning bodily harm and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm before leaving the scene.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the defendant was 16 years old when he committed the offences before the court.

The defendant and two others stole a Toyota HiLux that was parked at a Frenchville property on December 23 and started it with the keys that had been left inside and drove it around North Rockhampton.

The defendant pulled up at the intersection on Moores Creek Road and Yaamba Road in the early hours of Christmas Eve in the stolen vehicle and was approached by an 18-year-old man who was walking along the footpath.

The victim asked the defendant, “What are you doing?”, and then told him to “rip it up”.

The victim moved away from the vehicle, stood in front of it and did hand gestures that the defendant took as indicating he should do a burnout, which he attempted but instead lost control of the vehicle.

The vehicle jolted forward and accelerated toward the victim, before swerving and hitting him.

The defendant then drove over the top of the victim.

The defendant stopped briefly before leaving the scene, taking the vehicle back to where he took it from.

Ms Lawrence said other people that had witnessed the incident called emergency services and the victim was transported to Rockhampton Hospital in a critical condition.

She said he suffered a ruptured spleen, collapsed lung, blood in his abdomen and multiple fractured ribs.

“If he hadn’t received medical intervention, the injuries would have likely endangered his life,” she said.

“He has ongoing injuries, but fortunately is still with us and had to undergo treatment to regain what he had lost.”

She said the defendant was arrested on December 27 and told police he left the scene because he was panicked and thought the victim would be “close to death”.

Other offences committed by the defendant included not paying a $28 taxi fare and throwing a small stone at the driver, attempting to pay for a sausage roll at Coles Express with a counterfeit $50 note and stealing food, taking a golf buggy and taking a number of other vehicles and property in North Rockhampton.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence (right) leaves court with a Director of Public Prosecutions employee.

Ms Lawrence said the defendant had been remanded in custody for 231 days.

She said the offences were committed while the defendant was subject to orders and unlicensed.

She said, according to a pre-sentence report, the defendant experienced an adrenaline rush to stealing vehicles, however, became regretful once the excitement wore off.

Barrister Maree Willey said while attempting to do the burnout was deliberate, driving at the victim was not.

“It was a result of my client losing control of the vehicle,” she said.

“My client left the scene after he hit the victim, however, he was a child and still is a child.

“He was panicked.”

She said this was her client’s first time in detention and that he had matured.

She said her client had a disadvantaged upbringing and had used drugs, particularly marijuana, from a young age.

She said while incarcerated, her client had completed a healthy relationships course, vehicle offending course, drug and alcohol program and passed his learner’s test.

“In the pre-sentence report, while speaking about his actions and the harm they caused, he became visibly distressed and expressed genuine empathy and feelings of shame and remorse,” Ms Wiley said.

She said her client had written a letter of apology to the victim and for his behaviour and actions, which Ms Lawrence said was shown to the victim.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the impact upon the victim, who was an apprentice cabinet maker, had been incredibly far reaching.

“He and his family had to endure Christmas with that worry and stress about whether he would live,” Mr Clarke said.

“He experiences high levels of stress and anxiety and suffers nightmares and disruptive sleep.

“He doesn’t go out. He has traumatic flashbacks, lives with constant anxiety, and gets very stressed about his health.

“He says he is thankful every day for his life.”

The defendant was sentenced to detention for 18 months, to be released after serving 50 per cent.

He was also ordered to probation for 15 months and disqualified from driving for 18 months with no criminal convictions recorded.