Mark Kerry Watson smirks from court dock as he boasts “we just put TSV in lockdown” on social media

A teenager involved in an 11 day crime spree boasted about shutting ‘Townsville down’ in a video posted to social media.

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A TEENAGER involved in an 11 day crime spree boasted about shutting ‘Townsville down” in a video posted to social media.

In the clip played in the Townsville District Court, Mark Kerry Watson, 21, is seen recording himself while sitting in the passenger seat of a speeding stolen car.

Watson declares “we just put TSV in lockdown” as the car zooms down a street while followed by a police helicopter.

The 15 second clip was filmed on October 21 last year during the crime spree starting on October 12. The court heard a group of youths broke into multiple homes and stole car keys and bank cards.

On October 21, Watson and a group of males carjacked a man and his son as they worked at a Mundingburra address.

The court heard a male from the group threatened the man with a syringe before stealing the car with Watson.

A teenager involved in an 11 day crime spree boasted about shutting ‘Townsville down’ in a video posted to social media.

Crown prosecutor Molly Mahlouzarides said after the carjacking the group led police on a high-speed chase.

“Later that morning the defendant and the group were travelling in another stolen vehicle which wreaked havoc through suburban streets of Cranbrook and Kirwan,” she said.

“Things escalated to the stage where police deployed a helicopter to track them from the sky and your honour might recall flights were diverted and delayed from the Townsville Airport.”

Watson was arrested later that day on Riverway Drive.

He attempted to flee police on foot running through backyards and threatening a 62-year-old woman before he was apprehended.

Watson pleaded guilty to 21 charges including unlawful entry of a vehicle for committing indictable offence used/threatened violence while armed in company.

Defence barrister Wayne Pennell said Watson had started using cannabis at the age of 13 and had been diagnosed with ADHD.

“The video that your honour saw, when I look at that, that is just a display of bravado within a peer group,” he said.

Mr Pennell presented to Judge John Coker a handwritten letter by Watson expressing his remorse for his actions to his 62-year-old victim.

Judge Coker said the boy’s offences were “extremely serious”.

After declaring the 184 days spent in pre-sentence custody as time already served, Judge Coker sentenced Watson to three years’ jail.

A parole eligibility date was set at February 7 next year.

Originally published as Mark Kerry Watson smirks from court dock as he boasts “we just put TSV in lockdown” on social media