Three teenagers sentenced for involvement in violent Townsville carjackings

A woman was left traumatised after she was carjacked at knifepoint by a teenage girl who had been chroming and using meth before the terrifying assault.

A WOMAN was left screaming and trembling after she was violently carjacked at knifepoint by a teenage girl who had been chroming and using meth before the assault.

The girl, 15, and her co-offenders, a pair of boys aged 14 and 17, faced court over their involvement in a string of violent offences, where they pleaded guilty to the multiple charges levelled against them.

The court was told on August 15, 2021, the 14-year-old boy and another boy, 15, carjacked a man as he waited for his wife to finish work at Stocklands.

The girl got in the car and kicked the man who suffered a laceration.

The youngest boy who instigated the carjacking was just 13 when he hopped behind the wheel of the RAV4 and drove it directly at the man in the carpark.

Aftermath of stolen vehicle crash at Riverway Drive, Condon. Picture: Leighton Smith

At 7.50pm that day, the group went to the Willows to steal another car.

It was there the girl held a knife to a woman’s throat and punched her multiple times in the head before stealing her car, with two co-offenders inside.

Judge Gregory Lynham said the woman later told police she was left “trembling, crying and screaming” after the incident, which he said was “not surprising” given the terrifying attack.

Behind the wheel, the girl later collided with another car on Riverway Drive where she and another co-offender resisted arrest.

The youngest boy, however, continued to offend, later involved in the ramming a moving car before dumping and torching the stolen RAV4 in Belgian Gardens with his 15-year-old co-offender.

The court also heard that four days before the youngest boy stole the RAV4, he and another juvenile had caused $19k in damages to a local disability and social work business after they sprayed fire extinguishers and drinks through the premises.

A stolen car was set on fire at Belgian Gardens.

The boy was also involved in the carjacking of a woman in Mundingburra on October 5.

It was heard that the 14-year-old boy had spent 59 days on remand before being released on bail only to commit further offences, and had an “adverse childhood experience”.

Judge Lynham said a report noted the boy had been “mimicking the behaviour of family members so he could be seen as a man”.

The girl was heard to have started using drugs at age 12 and had been chroming and using meth before the offending, but had since demonstrated remorse for her actions.

It was heard the 17-year-old was to be sentenced as being a party to the Stocklands carjacking, and the Willows.

Judge Lynham said the offences were so serious that actual jail time was the only appropriate punishment.

The 14-year-old boy was sentenced to 15 months jail of which he must serve 50 per cent.

He will be on probation for 18 months.

The 15-year-old girl had 81 days on remand in custody taken into account, and was sentenced to 12 months jail, to be released after serving 50 per cent.

The 17-year-old was sentenced to 12 months probation, with 187 days remand taken into account.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Three teenagers sentenced for involvement in violent Townsville carjackings