Qld home invasions by teenage offenders: List
Youth crime has long plagued Queensland but it’s going nowhere if these cases of home invasion horrors are to go by.
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There has already been tragedy and heartbreak – and these cases prove Queensland could have more on the way.
Amid a series of high profile home invasions by teenage offenders, calls are growing louder to find a way to halt the crime scourge.
These are some of the home invasions across the state that resulted in sentences for the offenders.
Victim to teen thug: ‘I wish I could help you’
A violent teen criminal who used a crowbar to split an elderly woman’s head open was embraced by his bleeding victim who extraordinarily told him “I wish I could help you.”
The 80-year-old grandma, who suffered an 8cm gash to her face in the “painful and terrifying” home invasion in Townsville in 2022, told the young intruders: “I’m so sorry, I don’t have any money, I’m poor.”
The terrifying attack on Ana Bristowe-Lamb in her North Queensland home was the 17-year-old boy’s final offence of a seven-month crime spree.
His other crimes included running a taxi driver off the road in a stolen car and robbing him, and taking part in a joy ride in a stolen car in Mt Isa where offenders tried to provoke cops into chasing them, driving past a police station yelling “f--k the police”.
Ms Bristowe-Lamb said more than a year on, she still had “flashbacks” about the incident, which left her with six stitches in her forehead, black eyes and severe facial bruising.
“Looking at crime now, it concerns me for other people’s safety. I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through,” she said. “I’ve tried to move on with my life but I do still have some flashbacks.”
In September 2022, the teen who hit her with a crowbar was sentenced for 21 offences committed during the crime spree.
He was ordered to complete a 20-month detention order to be suspended after serving 10 months.
Convictions were recorded for two of the offences – the armed robbery of the taxi driver trapped in the wreckage of his crashed car at Mt Isa in November 2021, and for the 2022 assault on Ms Bristowe-Lamb.
Lawyers for the boy argued convictions should not have been recorded.
But the Court of Appeal, comprised of justices Debra Mullins, Peter Flanagan and David Boddice, in May 2023 refused leave to appeal.
Ice user’s ‘sadistic’ crime
A young man involved in a violent home invasion which left a teenage boy bloody was told in May he would end up dead or in prison for the rest of his life if he continued to commit ice-fuelled crimes.
The Toowoomba District Court heard Ethan Knox, 19, quickly accumulated a lengthy, serious and disturbing criminal history.
The most serious crime Knox committed was “disturbingly sadistic”, when he and a friend held a teenager at knifepoint on a Brisbane train, robbed him, and made him commit “degrading acts”.
During the horrific ordeal in March 2022, the 17-year-old victim was forced to eat discarded cigarette butts, lick shoes, break up with his girlfriend via text message, and the young criminals also took videos of the teen with his pants down before posting it to the victim’s Snapchat.
Knox pleaded guilty to the robbery while armed and in company in March, and was sentenced to three years in jail, suspended for four years after serving 364 days in custody.
Knox was on bail for a Toowoomba home invasion when he committed the traumatic train crime.
Knox pleaded guilty to that crime.
Knox was sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence, with a parole eligibility on May 11.
Judge Farr SC also declared 52 days Knox spent in custody.
Jealous teen, 16, starts blaze
A jealous Townsville teenager led a violent home invasion to target a rival who had shown interest in the father of her unborn child.
The Townsville District Court heard in April that Tina (not her real name) was only 16 when she led an adult and other teenagers on the home invasion.
Judge John Coker said although she was now 19 and facing her sentence in the full court, he would take into account that the offences were committed while she was still a juvenile, and she could not be identified.
Tina had earlier pleaded guilty to 10 counts that included armed robbery in company, three counts of assault, four counts of wilful damage, plus burglary and stealing.
Crown Prosecutor Nicole Butler said Tina was pregnant at 16 and there had been an exchange of messages and taunts from another female relating to the father of her unborn child.
She said Tina led a group, including an adult, who was the driver, to the home of the opposing female on October 14, 2019.
She said the group slashed tyres on a car and set fire to a chair at the rear of the house before a member of the group poured petrol on a window.
Judge Coker sentenced Tina to nine months’ probation.
Boy, 12, steals guns, cars
A 12-year-old boy who in March pleaded guilty to 44 offences including 16 burglaries, 11 unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing weapons and arson of a motor vehicle, defied those calling for the criminal age of responsibility to be lifted to 14, according to the Crown prosecutor.
The now 14-year-old Goondiwindi boy, who as a juvenile cannot be identified, pleaded guilty in the Children’s Court of Queensland at Toowoomba to the crime spree committed with mates over a three-month period in and around the border town in late 2021.
Asked by Judge Paul Smith about proposals to lift the age of criminal responsibility to 14, Crown prosecutor Emily Coley said the boy made full admissions to police and submitted “he knew what he was doing”.
Ms Coley said the offences involved the 12-year-old and older friends breaking into homes in Goondiwindi and stealing property including keys to cars which they then drove away.
The offenders had unsuccessfully attempted to torch one vehicle but successfully set fire to a Toyota HiLux which was destroyed, she said.
Disturbingly, the group had broken into one home’s gun safe from which four rifles and a shotgun were stolen, with the Crown unaware what had happened to the weapons.
The 44 offences the teenager pleaded guilty to included 16 counts of burglary, 11 of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, including two motorcycles, three of unlawful use of a motor vehicle with damage, four of entering a dwelling in company in the night, stealing, stealing weapons, and one each of attempted arson of a motor vehicle and arson of a motor vehicle.
Judge Smith said there appeared a need to keep the teenager busy and placed him on 12 months probation and ordered he do 50 hours community service. In keeping with the Juvenile Justice Act, no convictions were recorded.
Injury in Douglas home invasion
Police were in March investigating a reported violent home invasion near Townsville in which a group of teens attacked an individual with a weapon.
Police were called to a house on Cockatoo Circuit in Douglas at about 5.10am after two men were injured during an altercation with a group of teens who had broken in.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said that a 72-year-old man who had woken up and confronted the teens was pushed over and sustained minor injuries during the fall after confronting them as they attempted to steal items from his home.
A 21-year-old man intervened and was struck with a baton on the head, then struck again after he fell to the ground.
Both men sustained minor injuries. The juveniles then fled the scene in a stolen car they had arrived in, as well as a car from the residence.
A Queensland Ambulance Services spokesman said that a man in his early 20s was transported to Townsville University Hospital with injuries.
Investigations remain ongoing.
Teen had 18 pages of criminal history
A 17-year-old boy involved in a frightening Toowoomba home invasion had already amassed 18 pages of criminal history including 44 burglaries and 22 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences.
The boy, who as a juvenile offender can’t be named, was driving around Kearneys Spring in a stolen red Alfa Romeo about 2pm on May 1, 2022.
After the car pulled up outside a residence, the 17-year-old got out and knocked on the front door, checking to see if anyone was home, the Children’s Court of Queensland at Toowoomba heard in February 2023.
However, when the home occupant answered the door, the teenager walked away but was followed by the man back to the stolen car where the teen grabbed a hammer and brandished it at the man who backed off and the group drove away, the court heard.
He then travelled to another Kearneys Spring home where the 17-year-old armed with a knife broke into the home and stole property.
The now 18-year-old pleaded guilty to going armed so as to cause fear, burglary and stealing, burglary by breaking while armed and in company and armed robbery in company.
Judge Anthony Rafter SC sentenced the 18-year-old to 18 months detention but ordered he serve just 50 per cent with 193 days of pre-sentence custody declared time served.
Judge Rafter ordered convictions not be recorded, except for the armed robbery in company offence.
Violent carjacking weeks after home invasion
A teenager who pointed a loaded shotgun at a 60-year-old woman during a home invasion went on to commit a violent carjacking 17 days after his release, a court heard in December.
The then 16-year-old had been sentenced by the Children’s Court of Queensland in Toowoomba on October 31 for the home invasion.
He had also pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, the same court heard.
Having spent 148 days in pre-sentence detention, the youth was sentenced to 18 months’ detention, but was released on a three-month conditional release order (CRO). As long as he complied with the strict rules of the CRO, he would not have to serve any of the 18 months’ detention, the court heard.
However, just 17 days later, the meth-fuelled 16-year-old was in Bellbird, Ipswich, when a 26-year-old woman drove into her driveway about 7am.
As she got out of her car, the teenager approached with a hammer raised above his head, shouting “Get out of the f--king car”, Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court.
When the woman replied “What the f--k?”, the teen again yelled at her, demanding her keys and her phone.
The woman said she would hand over the keys, but asked to keep her phone and the teen got into the car, asking the woman “Is it automatic or manual?”, she said.
He then apologised to the woman, and said he just had to get home.
Ms Petrie said the woman saw that the teenager while starting the car had the hammer on his lap and went to grab it from him.
However, the teen called the woman a “dirty little s--t” and punched her in the face before driving away, she said.
The car was later found crashed and was written off, the court heard.
The teen pleaded guilty to all charges.
Judge Porter revoked the CRO and sentenced the teen to the original 18 months in detention and for the carjacking sentenced him to a further six months’ detention and ordered he participate in a restorative justice order. As in keeping with the Juvenile Justice Act, no convictions were recorded.
Jail for teen robber
A teenager involved in a violent home invasion was in May 2022 jailed for three years.
Jordan Thomas Himstedt, who turned 19 at the time of his court appearance, donned gloves and black surgical masks before climbing the fence of a home in Hamilton, Brisbane, on October 9, 2021, and breaking into the house, Toowoomba District Court heard.
Once inside, he demanded cash and keys to the couple’s car, Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court.
The stolen car was found abandoned the next morning and police investigations led to Himstedt, arrested on October 21, 2021.
He has had been held in custody since, the court heard.
Himstedt pleaded guilty to burglary, armed robbery in company and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Judge Katherine McGuinness sentenced Himstedt to three years in jail but, declaring the 201 days (six and a half months) he had spent in pre-sentence custody as time served under the sentence ordered he be released on parole immediately.
No jail for teens on home invasion
Two teenagers responsible for a violent home invasion of a 66-year-old stroke victim were in April 2022 each ordered to do probation with no convictions recorded against them.
The pair was each aged 15 at the time they and two other teens entered the unit of the victim at a Dalby retirement home on the night of July 21, 2021.
The man had earlier gone to bed but had left the door of his unit closed but unlocked so carers could enter the unit, the Childrens Court of Queensland at Toowoomba heard.
He woke to hear voices and see torch light in his unit and struggled to get out of bed to confront the intruders who he told to get out, Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the court.
One of the teens was armed with the wooden leg of the table with which he struck the man firstly to the side of the face and then to the back of his head after he fell, she told the court.
The other teens punched the victim before they left leaving him injured on the floor and also stealing his mobile phone.
However, the group returned a short time later and demanded cash, car keys and the man’s mobile phone PIN, Ms Kelso said.
When he told the group that he didn’t have a car and refused to give them his PIN, some of the group stomped on the man as he lay on the floor before leaving.
The complainant was left in pain and with bruising to his face, head and ribs and spent 15 days in hospital, Ms Kelso told the court.
The two now 16-year-olds pleaded guilty to burglary, armed robbery in company and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed and in company arising from the incident.
One of the teens also pleaded guilty offences from a four-day crime spree leading up to the home invasion which included a string of burglaries and unlawful use of motor vehicles committed from Roma to Dalby to Toowoomba.
That boy had an extensive criminal history and had spent 180 days in pre-sentence detention.
He was sentenced to 360 days detention, to be released after 180 days served, and placed on two years probation with no convictions recorded.
The other boy, who had no previous criminal history, was sentenced to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service with no convictions recorded.
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