Police statistics reveal which Moreton suburbs have the highest rate of stolen cars
Close to 1000 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences are recorded in this region each year – find out which suburb car thieves target and some of the worst offenders.
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In the past four years almost 4000 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences have been recorded in the Moreton Bay region – with one suburb at the top.
Statistics from Queensland Police show that between 2017-2020 Caboolture had the highest rate of offences when compared to other police divisions in the Moreton Bay Region – averaging 276 offences a year.
Petrie came second with an average of 190 offences a year, followed by Redcliffe with an average of 155.
Across the Moreton region in 2019 there were 1345 offences recorded – so far this year there have been 795.
There was an increase in the number of unlawful use offences in Deception Bay, jumping from 78 in 2018 to 135 in 2019 and Redcliffe, rising from 170 in 2018 to 241 in 2019.
There have already been 170 unlawful use charges in Redcliffe this year – the same number recorded in 2018.
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Moreton Police often issue warnings to the community reminding them to keep their cars locked, to never leave keys in your vehicle or in the ignition and to not keep car keys in a visible location at home.
Here are some of the people who have been found guilty of unlawful use of a motor vehicle this year:
Torren Chevy James
A 22-year-old Redcliffe man has been jailed after taking a stolen car on a high-speed joy ride, reaching up to 200km/hr while evading police through six suburbs.
Between December 22, 2019 and June 6, 2020 James, a father of one, committed a number of offences.
The most serious occurred on June 6.
Court documents detailed how police spotted James driving a black commodore station wagon, which had been stolen from his ex-partner on May 30, dangerously along Oxley Ave, Redcliffe at about 12.05am.
Polair was deployed to track the defendant who was recorded doing 80km/hr along Klingner Rd before making a right turn onto the wrong side of the road at Oxley Ave.
Polair recorded the defendant driving at a high speed over the Ted Smout Bridge, through Sandgate, Bracken Ridge, Brendale and Eatons Hill.
James then parked the stolen car in an underground carpark at Eatons Hill and fled on foot.
He was eventually caught by the dog squad in bushland.
James was also charged with unlawful use of motor vehicle offences for stealing a $20,000 paving machine from Redcliffe Golf Club on may 20 and a green Subaru Forrester from a Clontarf church carpark on June 2.
James was sentenced to a total of two years in jail.
He will be eligible for parole on April 14, 2021.
Shannon John White
A 20-year-old Deception Bay man has been sentenced to six months imprisonment after committing 14 offences in a three-month period including stealing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and multiple breach of bail conditions.
He won’t physically go to jail but will serve the sentence by way of an Intensive Corrections Order.
Shannon John White appeared in Redcliffe Magistrates Court for sentencing on June 29.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant David Pollock told the court White had committed a number of crimes between March and May, 2020.
These included selling stolen tools at Cash Converters, multiple fuel drive-offs, driving while disqualified, going on a joy ride to the Glasshouse Mountains with mates in a stolen car and stealing registration plates.
Magistrate Bucknall ordered White to serve the six months by way of an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO).
This means he will have to comply with a number of strict conditions and complete a minimum of 12 hours of community service a week.
Darcy John Coutts
Darcy John Coutts, 27, appeared in Redcliffe Magistrates Court on July 23 and pleaded guilty to a number of offences including animal cruelty offences, trespass, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing.
The court heard that on April 16 Coutts, of Clontarf, entered a shed and stole a motorcycle.
He took the motorcycle for a day and then left it against a tree in a park, with no fuel in it.
Magistrate Bucknall sentenced Coutts to 12 months imprisonment, for both the unlawful use and enter premises charges and set an immediate parole release date.
Noah Benjamin Brodie Delaney
A 20-year-old Caboolture man has fronted court after live-streaming a high-speed joy ride in a stolen car on social media.
The court heard that Noah Benjamin Brodie Delaney was arrested by police at 1.23am on September 28.
Police were notified about a live Instagram feed of unknown people in a suspected stolen Ford Falcon ute.
Due to the speed the car was travelling at police contacted the registered owner of the ute – who walked outside and told police his car had been stolen from his front yard.
Police spotted the car at about 1.15am along Pumicestone Rd, Caboolture and attempted to intercept it.
The driver sped off but Delaney was eventually caught after the car crashed.
Police also charged Delaney in relation to several other crimes linked to the theft of a car, phone, wallet and bank card from an 80-year-old Caboolture man on September 13.
The court heard the victim had left his door of his unit unlocked as he was unwell and a neighbour was coming to check on him.
Delaney was spotted in the stolen car at 7.48am the same day – and was charged with receiving tainted property and the fraud offences.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said Delaney was on parole for break and enters at the time of the offences.
He said Delaney had previously been found guilty of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, break and enter and fraud.
Magistrate Bucknall sentenced him to 12 months for the unlawful use of a motor vehicle, 15 months for receiving tainted goods, four months for each of the fraud charges.
He ordered the sentences be served concurrent and set a parole eligibility date on Feb 27, 2021.
Rhys Brodie Danial Kenyon
A magistrate has spared no leniency for a 28-year-old man with an intellectual disability who drove his car at speed towards police in a terrifying incident earlier this year – it was just one of 26 offences he committed.
Kenyon had previously been arraigned, pleading guilty to all 26 charges, on June 15.
The majority of the offences including multiple unlawful use of motor vehicles, disqualified driving, stealing, evading police, fraud and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, were committed in January.
Kenyon was sentenced to 18 months jail for the dangerous operation of a vehicle and will be eligible for parole on September 3, 2020, due to already spending 114 days behind bars.
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