Alleged Alexandra Hills crash teen driver was not jailed despite pleading guilty to over ‘50 offences’

Authorities are hunting answers after the rap sheet of the teen allegedly behind the wheel when a Brisbane couple was killed was revealed.

Queensland authorities continue to hunt for answers days after a teenager allegedly driving a stolen car hit and killed a Brisbane couple.

The state’s Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Friday that officers were working through the case with a fine-tooth comb and looking at the 17-year-old’s past to understand what lessons needed to be learned.

Reports also surfaced on Friday that the teenager had recently pleaded guilty to more than 50 offences.

Kate Leadbetter, 31, and Matty Field, 37, were hit by an allegedly stolen four-wheel-drive in Alexandra Hills on Tuesday as they walked their dogs. Ms Leadbetter was six months pregnant.

Matty Field and Kate Leadbetter were killed in the crash.

RELATED: Police probe 15 minutes between two crashes

The 17-year-old alleged driver from Waterford West in Logan, who was on bail at the time, is now facing murder charges.

He was remanded in custody on Wednesday and the case is due to return to the Children’s Court in March.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Commissioner Carroll said police were looking at “the entire history” of everyone involved.

Deidre Mulkerin, the director-general of Queensland’s Children and Youth Justice Department, is also looking into the “whole history of this child and what misadventures took place”, Commissioner Carroll added.

“I think we should be learning in any event we have ... the whole community is hurting,” she said.

“But we do need to look at the facts and go back through the history to learn what we need to do in the future.

“I understand why people are angry and it’s hard to understand how this can happen.”

RELATED: Premier questions why Alexandra Hills crash teen was out on bail

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Queensland Police Service Commissioner Katarina Carroll lay flowers for Kate Leadbetter and Matty Field. Picture: Richard Walker

Commissioner Carroll confirmed the teenager was on bail - but it was for a traffic offence that “people are not normally remanded for”.

“Their criminal matters were dealt with some time ago ... so when we get that straight, we do need to have a conversation about it and go back to say ‘can we learn from this?’ And we need to make sure we can stop it from happening again” she said.

Despite the traffic incident, The Courier-Mail on Friday revealed the teenager had recently pleaded guilty to around 50 offences, before he was charged and bailed on the traffic offence.

Instead of spending time locked up for the 50 offences, the teenager was put on a “restorative justice order” - a system that encourages juvenile offenders to get in touch with their alleged victims of crime and make amends.

“The child who has committed the offence can begin to understand the impact of their actions,” the Queensland government explains.

The 50 charges the teen previously pleaded guilty to included car theft, break and enter and robbery, according to the publication.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk earlier echoed the words of Commissioner Carroll.

“I understand the community concern here, everyone is touched by it,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We all want answers and there will be a thorough police investigation and of course a coronial inquest...but let’s get to the bottom of it and if we need to make changes, we will take action but we need to figure how this occurred in the first place.”

As authorities continue to search for answers, tens of thousands of people have signed a petition to the Queensland Government calling for laws around “reoffending juveniles” to be tightened.

Judy Lindsay, ambassador for CARS (Citizens Against Road Slaughter), lost her 20-year-old daughter Hayley Russell in a crash with a drink driver in Alexandra Hills in 2009.

After the double fatal collision this week, she started a petition urging a further “clean up” of the state’s Youth Justice Act.

Signed by more than 50,000 people by Thursday, it urges law reform including longer penalties for reoffending juveniles and time in prison without parole.

“We will never see our loved ones that have lost their lives … we will never have grandchildren and never see them again,” it reads.