100+ charges: Darling Downs teens in court for range of offences
Youth crime snapshot: A handful of teens fronted Toowoomba court on more than 100 charges, from a 16-year-old who almost killed his mate in a stolen car crash, to a terrifying and violent home invasion.
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During one court sitting a handful of Darling Downs teenagers fronted Toowoomba Childrens Court on more than 100 combined charges, just weeks after new laws allowed reporters into juvenile proceedings.
The brief snapshot into alleged juvenile offending across the region shared a common thread – property and driving offences.
Last month, the Toowoomba Chronicle reported Darling Downs police recorded a large drop in youth crime, including a 27 per cent drop in unlawful use of cars, a 28 per cent drop in robberies, a 19 per cent drop in assault, and a 4 per cent drop in break and enter offences.
One day snapshot
One of the six cases before Toowoomba Childrens Court on Monday, September 16, involved alleged violence during a car robbery and break and enter.
All but one case related to property offences, such as breaking into homes and stealing cars, with a 17-year-old spending 110 days in custody for recidivist domestic violence offences committed against a girl.
Four teenagers, two of which had little to no criminal history, pleaded guilty to property crimes on Monday, with one teenage boy charged with 36 offences having his more serious charges handed up to a higher court.
Police allege the teen was involved in two violent offences at Goondiwindi on June 30 – a break-and-enter and an attempted carjacking.
The court was told the teen’s two prima facie cases will be heard before judge-only trials, however a date was not fixed.
He was not required to enter any pleas and was remanded in custody.
When the following teens were sentenced before the court, police prosecution and acting magistrate May did not read the facts of the offending into the record.
Teen almost killed in stolen car crash
A 16-year-old teenager, with no criminal history, almost killed his friend after losing control of the stolen car he was driving along the D’Aguilar Highway at Nanango earlier in the year.
The court was told the teenager and co-offenders stole the car at a Woodford home, northwest of Caboolture, on May 7, 2024, and not long after, it was involved in the single-vehicle crash.
Police prosecutor Julia Wheaton said the boy was candid with police, telling them he was driving at speed before losing control at a bend and rolling the car.
The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and was flown to Brisbane Children’s Hospital while unconscious, and the offender was also transported to hospital for treatment.
The court was told the boy was subject to curfew conditions at the time of the offending.
On Monday the teen pleaded guilty to the dangerous operation of a car, speeding, unlawful use of a car in company, driving unlicensed with stolen licence plates attached to a car, and a fuel drive-off.
He was sentenced to a six-month probation order and no convictions were recorded.
Speedster armed with machete in public
After spending 94 days in pre-sentence custody, a 17-year-old teenager pleaded guilty to 14 crimes, however the most serious of the charges pre-dated an order handed down before a higher court earlier in the year.
The offences occurred in Toowoomba, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast between October and November 2023.
The charges began with the boy evading police at South Toowoomba on October 26, then stealing fuel the following day at Dara, before stealing a car from Surfers Paradise.
The teen was then involved in a raft of break-ins and attempted break-ins at Nundah, Wavell Heights, and Fassifern on the Scenic Rim north of Aratula.
During the spree, the court was told the then 16-year-old was caught speeding in stolen cars a number of times which included travelling at 115km/h in a 60km/h zone along James St at South Toowoomba.
He was also clocked doing 103km/h in a 90km/h zone at Redwood on the Toowoomba Connection Rd, and 150km/h and 144km/h along Warrego Highway.
He was arrested after returning to Toowoomba in November, where he stole a car from a Darling Heights home, and stole fuel from Kearney Springs, and brandished a machete in public, dumping the weapon in a bush on Water St.
The court was told the Darling Downs teenager had a two and a half page criminal history which mostly related to stealing cars.
The teen, who is subject to probation orders for unrelated offending, was ordered to complete a restorative justice order.
No convictions were recorded.
13-year-old caught stealing cars
A Darling Downs teen who spent 122 days on remand for 13 offences, pleaded guilty to the raft of crimes he committed in the Toowoomba region between March 9 and May 17.
In March, the court was told the 13-year-old boy was involved in a fuel drive-off at Withcott.
In April he broke into a home and stole a car – that month he also broke into a car that was parked outside a Wilsonton address.
In May, the boy breached his bail conditions, was involved in a fuel drive-off, and stole two cars, including one from Bridge St in Toowoomba.
The court was told the juvenile, who had not spent time in custody before, was on probation at the time of the offending and had a one page criminal history.
Solicitor Ryan McCullough said the teen, who had trouble regulating his emotions and was exposed to drug use as a child, began offending in 2024 after falling in with a bad crowd.
He noted the teenager was keen to get back to school after engaging in a number of Youth Justice programs while on remand.
As endorsed by all parties, the teen was sentenced to a restorative justice order.
No convictions were recorded.
Ice user found with gemstone haul
An 18-year-old Toowoomba man has pleaded guilty to 14 charges – signing off on his 10 page juvenile criminal history which included stolen car and break and enter crimes.
The young man, who is now working full time, pleaded guilty to possessing meth and drug utensils, receiving tainted gem stones and crystal jewelry.
He also pleaded guilty to a raft of property offences committed in 2023 which pre-dated two sentences before higher courts, which resulted in an 18-month jail term.
Those charges included a number of break and enters, a stolen car, two fuel drive-offs, and refusing to give police the pin to a phone.
The court was told the teen spent 116 days in custody.
Given the extensive orders the teen was already subject to, along with the 116 days he spent in custody, he was formally reprimanded for the crimes – as submitted by all parties.
Teen guilty of 39 crimes in 10 days
A 17-year-old Darling Downs teenager pleaded guilty to committing a raft of property offences in July spanning across the Toowoomba, Ipswich, Brisbane, and Logan regions.
The teenager pleaded guilty to the crimes, which included stealing cars, breaking into homes and businesses, fuel drive-offs, stealing, receiving tainted property, and attempted break-ins.
He was also charged with assaulting police officers while in the watch-house, occasioning bodily harm, and obstructing a handful of officers.
The court was told during a break and enter at Thérapie Skin & Beauty at Daisy Hill on July 17, the teen hacked a computer, unlawfully using the restricted device.
The teen was remanded in custody after entering his pleas and will be sentenced on October 11.
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