14-year-old boy allegedly stole cars in Ballarat to ‘build his street cred’

A Ballarat teen who went on a three week crime spree stealing cars and breaking into homes told cops he was “trying to build his street cred”, a court has heard.

A 14-year-old has faced Ballarat court after allegedly stealing several cars in an effort to improve his “street cred”. Photo: File

A runaway teen was “trying to build his street cred” when he snuck out of home as his parents slept to commit aggravated burglaries and car thefts across Ballarat.

The 14-year-old racked up more than 20 charges relating to “high-risk offending” during a three-week crime spree with a mate that kicked off on July 3, a Children’s Court heard on Thursday.

The court heard the duo saw a resident outside his Smythes Creek property and waited until he was inside and sleeping before allegedly entering his garage and his kitchen.

They stole two sets of keys and the cars to which they belonged, driving around Ballarat and dumping one of the vehicles in bushland at Magpie.

On July 12, the boys went to a house in Alfredton home and kicked in a laundry door.

The court heard he went through several rooms, taking keys and jewellery.

At another Alfredton home, he took a jacket, bank card, and hammer; at a third, he took keys and a station wagon.

The boy was said to have done burnouts on a street in Magpie, but lost control of the car and got stuck on the nature strip.

Then at an address in the same suburb, he tried to steal a Landcruiser, but a resident phoned the police, who chased the duo into a paddock and arrested them.

The court heard the boy told officers he would continue to commit offences because he was “trying to build his street cred”.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said that in that case, the boy would be “delighted” to spend time at Parkville – a youth prison.

“They all think that they’re Lewis Hamilton,” he said.

“This kid’s 14. He wouldn’t know a steering wheel from a hub cap … All he knows is one pedal says go, one pedal says stop, (and) if you turn the wheel it has some bearing on where the car goes.

“He wants to hoon around, build his street cred. What about when he kills someone? What then?”

And turning to the accused himself: “Will you be proud of your street cred then, will you?”

“No,” the teen replied.

“I don’t even know if it’s penetrating his skull what I’m saying now,” Mr Zebrowski said, but the boy’s lawyer insisted the Magistrate’s words had been effective.

“Name me one successful gangster, crook,” Mr Zebrowski said to the boy.

“You know where they are? They’re all dead or they’re doing 30 years in jail. That’s where they end up.

“There’s no great success stories in the world of crime … you’ll just be a no-hoper. You’ll just be a bum.”

Mr Zebrowski bailed the teenager with several conditions, saying he was “almost at the last resort stage”.

He encouraged the boy to take his ADHD medicine and reconsider his peer group.

“Don’t say I haven’t warned you,” he said.

“...Your liberty now is in your own hands.”

The boy will return to court at a later date.