Tweed-Byron police sergeant commandeers surfboard to chase down alleged Chinderah car thief Brittany Elizabeth Mackie, 34
An alleged home raiding car thief apprehended by a police sergeant who commandeered a surfboard in northern NSW has now faced court. Here’s what we know.
Tweed Heads
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A Tweed-Byron Police sergeant commandeered a surfboard and paddled up the Tweed River to apprehend a woman who allegedly broke into a home and stole a car.
The accused, Kingscliff woman Brittany Elizabeth Mackie, 34, fronted Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday.
Commenting on the bizarre arrest near the Queensland-New South Wales border, Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said officers had the power to commandeer watercraft and other gear to help fight crime.
He said officers on the Gold Coast, for example, had commandeered pushbikes and tinnies in the past under laws requiring the public to assist police.
“I haven’t heard of anyone commandeering a surfboard before,” he told ABC Gold Coast after the Saturday, April 6 arrest of Mackie.
Supt Hanlon said “plenty” of offenders tried to evade police by jumping into the water and “we wait for them to come to dry land”.
On Wednesday, April 3, the home at Chinderah in the Tweed Shire was raided and a Volkswagen Amarok was stolen.
“A short time later, police received a report the same vehicle was used to allegedly steal fuel from a petrol station at Mullumbimby,’ NSW Police state.
The following day, police tried to stop the VW at Brunswick Heads in the Byron Shire.
“When the driver failed to stop, police initiated a pursuit, which was later terminated due to safety concerns,” police state.
Come Saturday, police were involved in two more chases in the Tweed Heads area.
“In the second pursuit, around 10pm, police pursued the Amarok from Tweed Heads to Murwillumbah, where on Tumbulgum Road, the driver of the Amarok collided with a Hyundai Imax being driven in the opposite direction,” police state.
The Hyundai driver, a 45-year-old woman, was trapped and had to be freed from the van.
NSW Ambulance paramedics took her to Gold Coast University Hospital after she was treated by paramedics for a fractured elbow and abrasions.
Police allege the driver of the Amarok was Mackie and that she fled the area, jumping into the Tweed River at Tyalgah.
“Police established a perimeter, and a sergeant commandeered a surfboard and paddled some 500 metres along the river and arrested a 34-year-old woman,” police state.
Mackie was taken to Tweed Heads Police Station and charged with a spate of offences, including some relating to warrants.
She has been charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence and stealing the VW at Chinderah on April 3.
Mackie has also been charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception at Mullumbimby, police pursuit at Brunswick Heads and drive whilst (licence) cancelled at Murwillumbah on April 4, and a second police pursuit at Chinderah on April 6.
Mackie also faces a charge of hindering or resisting police at Murwillumbah on April 6.
She was refused bail to face Lismore Local Court on Sunday and bail was again refused.
In Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday, Mackie was dialled into the court via videolink.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy granted a request for her to undergo an urgent mental health assessment under police escort at Lismore Base Hospital.
Mackie swayed back and forth in her seat and appeared dishevelled during proceedings.
“If you are deemed mentally ill at Lismore Base Hospital, you will be kept there until you are deemed mentally well enough to attend court,” Mr Dunlevy told Mackie.
She will remain under police guard unless granted bail from the hospital, the court was told.
Her case is expected to be mentioned in the same court on May 6.
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