Teen girl accused of bottle shop robbery accused of more crimes

Just weeks after fronting court over an alleged bottle shop robbery, a teenage girl is accused of joining older boys on a wild car stealing and break-in spree across Rockhampton and posting about it online.

Townsville car thief generic.

Just weeks after she was in court for the alleged robbery of a bottle shop, a teen girl went on another spree with two older boys in stolen cars, entering homes and premises across Rockhampton and posting about it online, the Children’s Court has heard.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously been committed on September 17 to stand trial for the alleged robbery of a bottle shop in Norman Gardens in June this year, along with an attempted premise and commit indictable offence and enter premise and commit indictable offence.

However, on October 8 she was back in Rockhampton Children’s Court which heard she had committed nine new bail breaches since her last court appearance three weeks ago.

Her co-accused – Tyrelle Noah Armstrong and Jeremy Nicholas Richards – both 18 – also had their charges mentioned in court the same day.

The alleged offending took place in Gracemere, Parkhurst, The Range, West Rockhampton, Kawana, Wandal, Frenchville and Allenstown between September 30 and October 6.

The teen girl’s defence lawyer, Rebecca Winning, said her client had been living with her mother when she was last before the court but had since relocated to a Child Safety residential care facility as that relationship had broken down.

She said the child was not attending school but did want to enrol back with flexible learning.

Ms Winning claimed the other parties were “more criminally responsible” than her client.

She suggested her client could be placed on a 23-hour a day curfew as part of new bail conditions.

“It is conceded she already was on some quite strict conditions,” Ms Winning said.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said the teen had breached those conditions – nine times.

Police prosecutor Courtney Brown said the teen was accused of being a passenger in a stolen vehicle and attempted to open a front passenger door of a locked vehicle.

“She is (allegedly) positively engaging in the offending, associated with two adult men in these offences … previously had issues with complying with her bail being at a Child Safety placement,” she said.

“Prosecutions had previously brought an application to revoke her bail for concerns that we simply didn’t know where she was; Child Safety didn’t know where she was, and that’s what brought about the placement with her mother.”

Ms Brown said the defendant was not only reoffending while on bail for robbery, but her offending was also escalating.

Ms Beckinsale said the child was put on very strict conditions including a curfew that would have seen her at the residential place at night-time.

“She appears to have no intention of conforming with that, and it puts her at an unacceptable risk that her safety will be endangered if she were released,” she said.

Ms Beckinsale said there was also the issue of community safety where the teen was party to stolen vehicles being driven by inexperienced people, with or without drivers' licenses.

Bail was refused and the child was remanded in detention.

Her case was adjourned to October 29.

Meanwhile, Mr Armstrong has been charged with two counts each of attempted enter dwelling with intent at night in company, attempted enter premises with intent to commit an indictable offence, enter dwelling and commit, and stealing.

He has also been charged with three counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle with one being at night in company and another for also allegedly publishing about it on social media.

Mr Richards has been charged with three counts of attempted enter a dwelling with intent and three of entering a dwelling and commit.

He has also been charged with attempt to enter a premise with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts of enter premises with intent, one of enter a dwelling with intent, two of stealing, four unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle – use publish on social media – advertise involvement/act/omission.

Both Mr Armstrong and Mr Richards have been remanded in custody with the next court dates on December 11 and October 22 respectively.