Teens allegedly burgled Gungahlin businesses Spice Affair, Hair Journey

Two teenage boys have faced the ACT Children's Court after allegedly burgling two local businesses armed with a sledgehammer.

Two teen boys have faced ACT Children’s court after allegedly burgling two local businesses in Gungahlin . Picture: Google Maps

Two teenage boys have faced court after allegedly burgling a hairdresser and Indian restaurant in Canberra’s Gungahlin region.

Court documents allege the boys aged 16 and 15, who cannot be named for legal reason, used a blue and yellow sledgehammer to break the windows of Hair Journey salon in Palmerston in the early hours of Monday.

Documents allege CCTV footage from the area showed two people exiting a grey Subaru Forrester and one person exiting a red Honda CRV.

Police allege both vehicles were stolen, with the Subaru reported stolen on December 29 from Charnwood and the Honda stolen from Macquarie.

Two teen boys allegedly burgled Hair Journey in Palmerston ACT . Picture: Google Maps

Police also allege between 3am and 5am on Sunday an aggravated burglary occurred at Spice Affair Indian cuisine in Casey.

It is alleged CCTV footage from the restaurant depicts two people opening and drinking from liquor bottles.

Police allege the two cars were seen at Lyneham at 5.17am on Monday, and a brief pursuit began after the cars failed to stop for police.

Documents allege police had received reports of 17 recent burglaries occurring in the Gungahlin region, including the alleged incidents at Spice Affair and Hair Journey.

Police allege they lost sight of the cars in Kaleen, however police on patrol in Giralang found the cars and ultimately apprehended the two boys who were found walking along Canopus Crescent.

Documents allege when police approached the boys, one of them threw the sledgehammer into the grass.

Police searched the 16-year-old boy’s bag and allegedly found opened alcohol bottles, a large amount of money in coins, a balaclava and a pair of black gloves.

Police allege two teen boys burgled Spice Affair Indian Cuisine in Casey ACT . Picture: Google Maps

Police allege the 15 year old boy gave a fake name and later told police he did so for “a bit of fun”.

Documents allege police found $315 in cash stashed in the 15-year-old’s sock.

Both boys appeared at the ACT Children’s Court on Tuesday, and were both refused bail.

The 15 year old was charged with two counts of joint commission burglary, joint commission being equipped for theft, and breaching bail.

Documents allege he had been granted bail in December last year, and under bail conditions the boy was forbidden from contacting the same co-accused 16-year-old.

The two boys were refused bail when they fronted ACT Childrens Court on Tuesday. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

The 16-year-old boy meanwhile was charged with two counts of joint commission burglary and joint commission being equipped for theft.

His lawyer, Kat Duffy, said the prosecution case against her client was “far from infallible”.

She said the case relied on CCTV cameras and said it was unclear if the footage had positively identified her client.

Ms Duffy told the court the allegations against the 16-year-old were less serious than his co-accused, and said the main mark against the boy was being “found in the company of the co-accused who had a weapon”.

Meanwhile prosecutor Hannah Mitchell said the boy had previously breached bail conditions six times in 2022 alone, and said there was a risk of the boy reoffending.

She described the alleged offending as “premeditated - not a spontaneous mistake of the young person”, and said releasing him on bail would be a risk to the community.

Magistrate James Lawton said police were still investigating the matter, and he was “not prepared’ to release the teen on bail.

He will face court again on January 16.