Woman dead after teen in alleged stolen car ran red light in Murrumba Downs
Police have located a stolen orange Holden hatchback in the Moreton Bay region, believed to be linked to the alleged driver of a stolen blue Audi involved in a fatal crash at Murrumba Downs.
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Journalists have been removed from court while trying to report on a teen accused of driving a stolen car that hit and killed an innocent grandmother, as police have found a second vehicle believed to be linked to the teen driver.
Police have located a stolen orange Holden hatchback in the Moreton Bay region, believed to be linked to the alleged driver of a stolen blue Audi involved in a fatal crash at Murrumba Downs.
The car is currently being forensically examined at the intersection of Browns Rd and McCormack Rd North at Kurwongbah.
It comes after journalists were kicked out of the courtroom moments before the teenager accused of driving the allegedly stolen car that hit and killed an innocent woman on Thursday was due to have his case heard for the first time.
Police allege the 16-year-old alleged driver of the stolen Audi was wanted for attempted armed robberies and the theft of the car just minutes earlier.
The boy, from Caboolture, was charged on Thursday night with manslaughter, armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
The case against the teenager in Brisbane Children’s Court on Friday was a major test of Youth Justice Act changes which took effect in September and were designed to give media representatives better access to court cases involving juveniles.
Before the case was heard, Youth Advocacy Centre solicitor Alzena Mariani - representing the accused child - applied for journalists to be excluded from hearing the case.
The Courier-Mail understands that the accused has a criminal history including property offences and breaches of bail.
At the scene on Thursday, Chief Superintendent Adam Guild said the teen was known to police, and confirmed he had matters before the court, but it was the senior police officer’s understanding that the youth “wasn’t on bail” at the time.
But Ms Mariani told the court on Friday that her client is “not a frequent flyer”.
“He is not what would be termed ‘a frequent flyer’, he has not been in and out of custody for example,” she said in her argument to remove the media.
“He has been in the care of the Department of Child Safety for the past four years, he has never met his father, he spoke to his mum yesterday and he instructs that she is not bothered by the situation he finds himself in.
“He doesn’t have any support in the community, I’ve made inquiries asking, prior to this happening, who was on your side and who were you talking to? That’s nobody - he has no family and no support, so I’m not sure what the Department of Child Safety was doing.”
Ms Mariani acknowledged the allegations were “of the most serious nature” and acknowledged “the public do have a right to know”.
“But my primary submission is that it is extraordinarily prejudicial for a 16-year-old child to have his name and details projected across the media, for allegations of which he has not fully comprehended,” she told the court.
“He received a significant amount of pain medication in hospital yesterday … he has not processed what has happened, he is in significant shock.
“He also has significant mental health concerns.”
In reply, media representatives highlighted - in reference to Ms Mariani’s claim that her client’s “name and details would be projected across the media” - that journalists are strictly prohibited by law from naming, or identifying in any way, a child accused of any crime.
Spokespeople for the media contingent also referenced the legal changes which came into effect in September were partly aimed at meeting the public’s expectation of “more openness and transparency” in how the Children’s Courts operate, and allowing journalists to “follow cases from beginning to end”.
They also argued journalists should be allowed to hear the case in the interests of “open justice” and removal would hinder their ability to do their job.
“Can I stop you right there?” Magistrate Anne Thacker interjected at that point.
“You’re not going to learn anything more than what you already know, it’s a quick adjournment.”
Later, when a media representative started talking about the interests of the multiple alleged victims involved in this case, the magistrate cut them off.
“Alright, that’s sufficient for me to make a decision, thank you,” she said.
Magistrate Anne Thacker then excluded the media from hearing the case’s first mention.
“Given what has been said about the vulnerability of this 16-year-old, particularly his position with no other support in the community beyond the Department of Child Safety, and given his mental health concerns that need to be investigated further,” she said.
“But clearly as a start, he is on pain medication, and in all probability it is correct that he hasn’t processed what has happened to any extent yet.
“The public do have a right to know, and they can know. There is nothing more to know, you can obtain the adjournment date downstairs.”
The case will return to Brisbane Children’s Court on December 17.
The legislative changes which took effect at the start of September were a promise from Steven Miles when he was Premier and were designed to open the state’s Children’s Courts up to the victims of youth offenders, their families, and accredited media organisations.
Journalists who previously had to apply to be allowed in the court can now attend court proceedings if accredited unless an exclusion has been made on the basis to prevent prejudice or for the safety of any person including the child.
The new changes also saw victims of crime or the family of the victims who have died, including by homicide, attend court.
Journalists are still strictly prohibited from identifying children involved in criminal matters.
Crisafulli weighs in to media debate
Premier David Crisafulli later on Friday confirmed laws allowing the media to report on Children’s Court matters will be strengthened under the government’s Making Queensland Safer laws.
Mr Crisafulli said he would be “fixing” the court process as part of the legislative changes, with the government’s adult crime adult time laws to be passed by December 12 and effective once signed off by the Governor.
The laws will not be applied retrospectively, meaning they will only impact children who commit crimes and are apprehended after the laws are signed off.
“They will be gazetted as soon as practicably possible to make sure they are laws by Christmas,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles accused the Premier of “rushing to politicise” the Murrumba Downs tragedy.
“I won’t be doing that, but this has affected my local community,” he said.
“They have been deeply affected by it, and right now, our focus is on supporting the family.
“I have requested from the police a briefing as the local MP. I haven’t had that briefing yet, so the information that I have to hand is what’s been publicly reported.”
The Justice and Attorney-General government departments have begun drafting the new crime legislation to be introduced to parliament between November 26 and 28.
How the tragedy unfolded: November 7
A loving grandmother has died in a horror crash after a teenage driver allegedly ran a red light in a stolen Audi and slammed into her vehicle north of Brisbane.
The woman, 69, was just a few kilometres from her home when she was killed by the crash on Dohles Rocks Rd in Murrumba Downs about 9.45am on Thursday.
A 16-year-old, the alleged driver of the stolen Audi, was wanted by police for attempted armed robberies and the theft of the car just minutes earlier.
The Courier-Mail can confirm the 16-year-old had a criminal history included property offences and breaches of bail.
The boy, of Caboolture, was charged on Thursday night with manslaughter, armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
He was due to appear in Brisbane Children’s Court on Friday.
Police are investigating if the boy drove through a red light before the Audi hit the grandmother’s car.
Speaking on the Today show this morning, Premier David Crisafulli confirmed law changes which could enable juveniles to be sentenced as adults for serious crimes, including manslaughter, would be in place soon.
“I want Queensland to know we intend to drive change when it comes to dealing with youth crime,” Mr Crisafulli told Today.
“Adult Crime, Adult Time will be law by Christmas and we intend to fulfill that promise. We’ll be back here in a fortnight for the first (parliament) sitting, and there will be a second sitting of parliament in December.
“A decision was taken 10 years ago to weaken the laws and on the back of it we have a generation of untouchables.
“Enough’s enough, change must occur, and change will occur.”
Quizzed about the possibility he wouldn’t be able to get the laws in by Christmas, Mr Crisafulli said he’s given Queenslanders his word.
“Well I’ve given my word and my word matters... there’s no ifs or buts about that.
“We’ve made sure there’s the process in place to be able to table the legislation, we’ve been working frantically on it to get it right, and it will be right, and it addresses the issues that have caused this state so much grief and so much heartache.”
In the lead-up to the crash a woman attending an art class allegedly had her Audi stolen at gunpoint by the 16-year-old, from a property on Dohles Rocks Rd, about 9.30am.
Police said officers were not involved in a pursuit but had set up a cordon to try to catch the boy, and unmarked police vehicles had been deployed in the area.
Minutes later the stolen Audi ploughed into the 69-year-old woman’s sedan which was turning right from Dohles Rocks Rd on to McClintock Drive. Two police officers looking for the boy were also injured, after the stolen vehicle crashed into them.
The 16-year-old was arrested and taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with a significant leg injury.
Chief Superintendent Adam Guild said the teen was known to police, and confirmed he had matters before the court, but “it is my understanding that he wasn’t on bail”.
Premier David Crisafulli said news of the horror crash would be “harrowing for Queenslanders, as it was for me”.
“A family is coming to terms with the loss of a loved one and the thoughts and prayers of an entire state are with them,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“They are owed answers. I’ll have more to say about the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking situation in the days ahead.”
He said the government would respond “as we must”.
The Courier-Mail was told the boy was wanted by police for two attempted armed robberies at 7.45am and 8.20am on Thursday. He and at least one other person were believed to be in an orange Holden Barina at the time of the robberies.
In one of the attempted armed robberies, the teen allegedly attempted a carjacking at Newport on the Redcliffe peninsula and didn’t get the vehicle.
In the second attempted armed robbery, the teen allegedly attempted to rob a person walking to a train station at Rothwell.
The orange Barina was then driven to Dohles Rocks Rd, before the blue Audi was stolen at gunpoint from the woman who was attending an art class about 9.30am.
Three other juveniles from the Barina remain on the run.
Todd Whisson, who lives on Dohles Rocks Rd, said he was about to run the art class when one of his students had said there were a “couple of dodgy people in a car following her for a couple of kilometres”.
“And she was aware and not feeling safe,” he said.
“So she got to my place to park for the class and the car kept going and she thought ‘oh that’s good, they’re gone’.”
But Mr Whisson said the teens came back while the woman was outside her Audi.
“And they stopped and said ‘give us your car, give us your keys or we’ll shoot ya’,” Mr Whisson said.
He said the woman gave her keys to the teens.
“So the car has raced off the road and then the police have come along to investigate it all,” Mr Whisson said.
“She was in the neighbour’s house, getting comforted, because she was in a lot of shock.
“ And it turns out that the car has roared up Dohles Rocks Rd towards Murrumba Downs.”
The stolen orange Barina was seen driving off with the stolen blue Audi after the car theft, and witnesses also said the Barina was seen near the scene of the crash.
The woman whose Audi was stolen said she was “deeply saddened” for the 69-year-old woman’s family.
Although she declined to comment in detail on the incident, the woman, believed to be in her 60s, said she “ just felt powerless”.
Mr Whisson claims the woman saw a black pistol and believed there were up to four young people in the orange Barina before the theft. She had travelled from Maleny but felt like she was being followed from about Brays Rd in Murrumba Downs.
“It was a lady by herself in a little car on a bit of a back road … she was a target for a few kilometres from Brays Rd to here,” he said.
“She noticed them changing lanes behind her … and too close at times.”
Superintendent Guild said the crash that killed the grandmother was “high-impact” and “very tragic”.
“Unfortunately, in all the best efforts of paramedics and police, the female was unable to be resuscitated and has passed away,” he said. “Queensland police and myself offer our sincere condolences for the family in this instance which can be described as a very tragic circumstance.”
The boy was under police guard in hospital and will be questioned later. Police found a gun in the stolen car.
Police on Thursday appealed for anyone who saw or knew the whereabouts of the Barina – registration 906 IP3 – to contact triple-0.
The public was urged not to approach the vehicle or anyone associated with it.
Originally published as Woman dead after teen in alleged stolen car ran red light in Murrumba Downs
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