‘I didn’t care who you were’: Teen crims reveal moment that changed their lives

Caught up in violent armed robberies and drug-fuelled joy rides, these teens were at the centre of Queensland’s youth crisis. But with nowhere else to turn, they reveal how they turned their lives around.

• Diversion strategy to be audited
• Booze ban: Alice crime plummets

From violent armed robberies to drug-fuelled joy rides, Queensland has struggled to tackle youth crime but a police mentoring program has removed the barriers faced by at-risk youth and transformed their “negative interactions” with police.

The Courier-Mail spoke to four teenagers: Sienna, Harry, Jess, and Tyler, all of which revealed they would either be locked up or dead if they weren’t saved by Project Booyah.

The project is a program for at-risk youths aged 14 to 17 years old with locations in Logan, Gold Coast, Ipswich, South Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton.

This is the story of their redemption.

Project Booyah program co-ordinator Lyndal Harvey with Senior-Constable Hope Drury. Picture: Lachie Millard

‘That could have been me’: Sienna, 16

The intersection of Finucane and Vienna roads in Alexandra Hills, east of Brisbane is where a pregnant couple were struck and killed by a stolen car on Australia Day, 2021.

A drug and alcohol-affected 17-year-old boy was driving a four-wheel drive in Alexandra Hills when it collided with a tow truck, causing it to roll and strike 31-year-old Kate Leadbetter and her 37-year-old partner Matthew Field.

Killed instantly were Mr Field, 37, his pregnant partner Ms Leadbetter, 31, and their unborn son. The teenager, who committed the “particularly heinous” crime, was sentenced to 10 years jail, and with time served will be out on Australia Day, 2027.

Sienna (not her real name), 16, used to joy ride in stolen cars but Project Booyah Moreton Bay program co-ordinator Senior Constable Lyndal Harvey told The Courier-Mail that when the pair drove past that median strip, the 16-year-old immediately broke down and said, “that could have been me”.

Qld youth crime: Everything you need to know

Youth Justice referred Sienna to Project Booyah Moreton Bay when she was just 14 years old.

She was involved in a number of robberies which often resulted in cars being stolen, offences which were “triggered” by her home life.

“I was in a pretty bad domestic violence house … I was just trying to stay away from my mum and dad,” she said.

“You get to know people …(they) show you their ways.”

Sienna would spend days and nights on streets as she spiralled into a life of crime.

The 16-year-old who now dreams of becoming a chef, said “ (Booyah) showed me what I didn’t know I could be”.

“I would be in jail right now if it wasn’t for Booyah.”

Sienna left Booyah in November of 2022 and is currently working as a cashier at KFC.

She said when she was first accepted into the program, she had a “hatred for police”.

“Once you get to know (the police), once they talk to you, you know you can trust them.”

“I really want to work … I love cooking.”

Project Booyah uses adventure based learning, leadership skills, decision making/problem solving exercises, resilience training, policing strategies and family inclusive principles to help young people make better life choices.

Snr Const. Harvey said a pivotal program at Project Booyah is RESPECT, underpinned by a strength-based approach, which supports existing strengths and abilities of the young person as opposed to focusing on, and staying with the problem or concern.

Sienna said Project Booyah taught her to be “tolerant” of other people but also offered her the opportunity to work towards her provisional license, a barrier to getting many of these at-risk offenders off the streets.

Project Booyah participant Sienna. Picture: Lachie Millard

‘I probably would be locked up’: Harry: 16

Sixteen-year-old Harry (not his real name) told The Courier-Mail he started fighting at 12 and was eventually expelled from school.

He was referred to Project Booyah by a guidance counsellor after he became homeless.

“I lived in motels for a year … I was hanging with the wrong people … fighting in and out of school,” he said.

“I probably would have been locked up because I was getting progressively worse … the older I was getting the more people I was hanging out with.”

Harry was recently named in the state gridiron team, one of the top 50 players under 18 in Queensland.

He said Booyah changed his mindset and helped him to focus on health and fitness.

“(Booyah) changed everything,” he said.

“My home life was all right, but I didn’t really have a father figure … when I did Booyah my mother went to jail which wrecked my mental state.”

“I didn’t want to do (Booyah) at first because I was arrogant … I didn’t care who you were … but eventually I looked forward to coming here … especially after we understood each other.”

Snr Const. Harvey said Harry was an “angry young man”.

“Harry came to us when he was really young, a mini RESPECT program when he was 13,” she said.

“We have a pretty rigorous selection process obviously because we want to make sure everyone in the program is going to be safe and also to make sure that the young people are the right mix.

“You don’t want to put someone who is super high risk in with some lower risk kids because unfortunately behaviours can rub off on other kids.”

Snr Const. Harvey said Harry was initially deemed “too high risk” for the program.

“Harry never used to talk … I went in to fight for him and said ‘he needs us’,” she said.

Harry, who now attends the gym six days a week, said he wants to become a sports nutritionist.

Program participant Harry. Picture Lachie Millard

‘I was drinking heaps and getting aggressive’: Jess: 17

Jess (not her real name) told The Courier-Mail she used to steal and destroy government property but was “never really caught”.

She said Booyah changed her life “mentally and physically” as it was the first time a person “believed” in her.

“I didn’t even see myself making it this far … If I didn’t go through Booyah I probably wouldn’t still be here,” she said.

“I was drinking heaps and getting aggressive … these guys are my family.”

Jess spent 14 months in the program.

“ (Booyah) tried to track me down for a year to get me into the program … they didn’t stop until they found me,” she said.

Senior Constable Greg Newman, the project co-ordinator for the Sunshine Coast Project Booyah, revealed Jess was “in and out of foster care”.

“There were a lot of family issues … mum going in and out of jail as well as rehab,” he said.

“Jess has got a really kind nature and passion to help other kids who are in a similar situation to what she was as a toddler and right through to now.”

Snr Const. Newman said Jess is currently enrolled in Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention at Tafe but has deferred while in rehab.

“She is incredibly bright when it comes to academics,” he said.

Mr Newman said Jess, who was a “hard nut to crack”, is also “emotionally intelligent”.

“I just want to help people in the same situations and break the cycle,” Jess said.

Two Project Booyah participants. Picture: Lachie Millard

‘I had nothing to lose, we were going for innocent people’: Tyler: 17

Tyler (not his real name), 17, said his brother referred him to Project Booyah at Ipswich after he was involved in a number of violent armed robberies.

He would often leave his Ipswich home and not return for weeks.

“I could see the outcome from what we were doing at Booyah … everything people spoke about was actually getting accomplished,” Tyler said.

“I wanted to stop my behaviour and start working.”

“I hated school … primary school was when dad left and then Year 7 was when I really started getting into what I was doing,” he said.

Tyler was just 12 years old when he started to rack up a number of violent offences, but Booyah provided him with both guidance and opportunities after being expelled from a number of schools.

Asked about his offending, Tyler said “everyone was a sheep, no one was the shepherd … it started with stealing a drink or door stepping someone for a pair of shoes … that would get boring so we would keep taking it to the next level,” he said.

“Back then I had nothing to lose … we were going for innocent people,” he said.

“I have a closer relationship with my brothers now … mum was always distraught … it was a cycle.”

‘You’re my last resort’: How Project Booyah saves teens from life of crime

Project Booyah is a program for at-risk youths aged 14 to 17 years old and has current locations in Logan, Gold Coast, Ipswich, South Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton.

Snr Const. Harvey said the teenagers are analysed on their behaviour and by a psychologist and that many young offenders accepted into the program “don’t have role models”.

Asked whether a teenager has ever been knocked back because they are “too high risk”, Snr Const. Harvey said “it’s super hard because often parents will say ‘you’re my last resort’ … It’s really hard to say no to some of the families”.

“Sixteen to 20 weeks is not a lot of time but we often have kids who never leave … we’ve even had four family members through the program because of intergenerational issues,” she said.

Snr Const. Harvey said re-engagement rates in conventional schools after Project Booyah is about 90 per cent but “unfortunately, school isn’t for everyone”.

She said there are two cohorts a year across the 10 sites but that there is “always a waiting list”.

Snr Const. Harvey said police referrals would be beneficial to the future success of the program.

Originally published as ‘I didn’t care who you were’: Teen crims reveal moment that changed their lives