Darwin kids attempt carjacking of nurse with knife

A terrified nurse says she feared she would be killed and felt ‘betrayed’ when a group of youths – some aged just 11 – tried to carjack her on Wednesday.

Darwin youths attempted to steal a nurse’s car on Wednesday night.

A terrified nurse says she feared she would be killed when a group of youths – some aged just 11 – tried to carjack her at knifepoint in Darwin on Wednesday.

Anu Chapagain told The Australian she felt “betrayed” after a group of four male youths attempted to steal her car at 6:40pm, with one coming within a metre of her with a knife after a rock was pelted at her window.

“I’m really scared, I feel like (I’m having) a heart attack, after that I spin my head, I nearly fall down,” she said.

The frightening attack comes just days after a youth curfew in Alice Springs expired, sparked by the declaration of an “emergency situation” in the town following continued violence and rioting and has prompted calls for a renewed, Territory-wide curfew on “problem youths”.

Former Labor turned independent MLA Mark Turner, who used to be a police officer, said he would support youth curfew orders “on problem youths”.

“There’s about 60,000 people under 18 in the Northern Territory, (and about) 100 kids responsible for the majority of the crime. I would support all of them being on youth curfew orders,” the national police bravery award winner said.

“The government continues to lack the courage to deal with the problems and rules punishing everybody for the actions of a few are not the answer.”

Ms Chapagain, a personal care assistant at Darwin Hospital who moved from Nepal to Darwin in 2009, said she would have collapsed in the aftermath of the attack if it weren’t for two friends by her side. “I was thinking … what if they kill me, how is my family going to survive,” she said.

“I always help them, and I’m always helping the community and I’m working in a hospital, lots of Indigenous people are there, I’m caring for them in the hospital.

“I’m betrayed, this is too much” she said.

“My children, my family, my community, all Darwin people are not safe.”

In confronting video footage of the incident, Ms Chapagain can be seen fleeing her car as a youth runs up to her pointing a knife and yelling “Give me your car, give me your car, right now, right now”.

After failing to start the car due to the absence of the wireless key, which Ms Chapagain had on her, the offenders fled the scene only to allegedly carjack a taxi several hours later around 10.30pm.

It is alleged they assaulted the taxi driver with a hammer, and stole items from his vehicle. He was taken to hospital.

Two of the youths, aged 11, were taken home to a “responsible adult” after they were found by police. A 13- and 14-year-old have been arrested, with police expected to lay charges.

Ms Chapagain said she hadn’t been able to sleep since the incident, and fears for her three children in the town she’s lived in for 15 years. “I’m really, really worried about them,” she said.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro on Thursday said the Labor government’s approach to crime was “a total joke … The government’s knife crime strategy has totally failed, and part of that is that they made it too difficult and complicated for police to be able to wand people,” she said.

Anu Chapagain is a personal care assistant at Darwin Hospital. Picture: Supplied

Former Labor turned independent MLA Mark Turner, who used to be a police officer, said he would support youth curfew orders “on problem youths”.

“There’s about 60,000 people under 18 in the Northern Territory, (and about) 100 kids responsible for the majority of the crime. I would support all of them being on youth curfew orders,” the national police bravery award winner said.

On Thursday, NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler said the actions of the children were “appalling” and one had been sent home to the Tiwi Islands.