Boy sentenced for crime spree across Kingaroy, Wondai, Gympie

A 17-year-old boy has faced his fate after he and an accomplice threatened or attacked women with weapons including shears or bolt cutters before nicking their cars.

A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced after a violent crime spree across Wondai, Kingaroy, and Gympie, where he and an accomplice stole multiple cars and assaulted young women with weapons.

A teenage boy has been sentenced after he and another youth went on a crime spree, stealing multiple cars and assaulting young women.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to seven charges in Kingaroy Children’s Court on Wednesday including unlawfully using a motor vehicle to commit an indictable offence, unlawfully entering a vehicle with intent while armed and in company, attempted stealing, armed robbery in company with personal violence, wilful damage, burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Smith summarised the shocking crimes, noting that the co-accused, already convicted, was armed and responsible for most of the assaults.

The court heard in September 2023, about 5.30am, a young woman arrived at her workplace in Wondai and parked her car.

The co-offender approached her vehicle with a pair of garden shears “with long handles”.

“She tried to drive away, he told her not to,” Judge Smith said.

“He began to smash the window with the shears. The window broke, and he raised them at her.”

The woman, fearing an assault, opened the door and told him to take the car before the two boys, along with a girl, got in and drove off, the court heard.

On December 13, 2023, another young woman was unpacking items from her car outside her home in Kingaroy.

When she returned, she saw the two boys inside her vehicle with their faces covered.

The co-accused was armed with bolt cutters and “waved them at her.”

“She yelled at him, and he raised the cutters,” Judge Smith said.

She called for help from neighbours before the boys stole some items and fled in another stolen vehicle.

Later that day, the pair attempted to steal fuel but were spotted by an 18-year-old woman just before she drove away.

“She noticed she was being followed. She stopped … and wound down the window,“ Judge Smith said.

The co-offender then approached with the bolt cutters, demanding, “give me your f----g keys and get the f--k out of the car.”

When the woman threatened to call the police, the co-accused snatched her phone and grabbed her by the throat.

“He grabbed her shoulder straps, ripping her shirt, exposing her breasts, and pulled her from the car,“ Judge Smith said.

The defendant took the keys while the woman tried to stop him, but the co-offender “dragged her away”.

She tried again to get in the car but was pulled out.

A friend of the woman stepped in before the pair took off.

Judge Smith told the boy, “Now, you didn’t have the weapon, but that’s a very serious charge”.

Kingaroy Magistrates Court. File Photo.

The following night, around midnight, a 19-year-old girl was sitting in her car outside a Gympie address when the boys parked in front of her vehicle and tapped on her window with a “red tool with long handles”.

The girl tried to reverse, but the co-accused smashed both her front and rear windows.

“She sped away, and you pursued her at speed,” Judge Smith said.

The girl pulled into a McDonalds and the pair drove off. They later stole another car from a driveway.

Police eventually tracked down the pair, who were found with stolen items inside a stolen Toyota LandCruiser.

Judge Smith addressed the boy directly, asking about his co-accused.

“He sounds like an idiot. Why would you want to hang around him?” Judge Smith said.

“The citizens of these towns must be outraged.”

He acknowledged the boy’s traumatic upbringing, including the death of a sibling, and noted the offending had only recently begun.

He urged the boy to distance himself from his co-offender, describing him as a “really bad guy,” and warned that since the boy was nearing 18, further offences would land him in adult prison.

“That would ruin your life,” he said.

He sentenced the boy to 117 days in detention, already served, with release on parole.

He said the 117 days already served in detention was “sufficient” and he would be released on parole.

The court heard the co-offender was sentenced to two years in detention.