Rockhampton teen torched stolen car for meth

A juvenile delinquent who carried out two attempted robberies in company and torched a stolen car, disgusted his own sister so much with his offending that she walked out in the middle of a police interview.

Picture of a Mazda CX5 on fire. Picture Glenn Hampson

A juvenile delinquent who carried out two attempted robberies in company and torched a stolen car, disgusted his own sister so much with his offending that she walked out in the middle of a police interview.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, carried out a “gutless and cowardly attack” on a 66-year-old man as he walked home from the grocery store on Rockhampton’s rail pedestrian bridge which goes over the Fitzroy River, crown prosecutor Cameron Keast told Rockhampton District Court on August 28.

He said one of the youths with the defendant asked the victim for money but kept walking before the defendant carried out “a vicious assault on the victim”, which included pushing him in the face, kicking him while he was on the ground and trying to take the victim’s grocery bags.

The victim, who sustained cuts to his face and ears, was so traumatised by the attack, he hid in his home for two weeks before venturing out and reporting the matter to police.

Mr Keast said the other was while he was detained in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville where he and another juvenile tried to steal a staff member’s keys in order to escape the detention centre and it took nine guards to de-escalate the situation.

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

He said the co-accused, yet to be dealt with in the Townsville courts, produced a shiv which was used to stab the victim.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the youth centre victim had to take three months off work due to stress.

“It’s a wonder he went back at all,” he said.

Mr Keast said the defendant was released on bail and while he was on bail, he committed the arson at night.

“He was on a curfew while on bail,” he said.

The defendant torched a stolen Mazda CX5 worth $25,000, captured on CCTV.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said his sister sat in with her client when police were interviewing him about the car arson.

“She got up and walked out of the interview due to being so disappointed,” she said.

Ms Willey said the child had been living with his sister elsewhere in Central Queensland initially and had stayed out of trouble, but he came with her when she had to relocate to Rockhampton.

She said her client had been using methamphetamines intravenously at the time of bridge assault and had been sought out by adult males to torch the car for them in lieu of supplying him with meth.

Ms Willey said the child had two family members die while he was in detention which was why he was trying to get out.

Judge Clarke said the child was on a probation order at the time of all three offences and had been kept in close confinement in the detention centre due to difficulties controlling his behaviour, which included violent outbursts.

He said a report prepared for sentencing stated the defendant had “already been institutionalised” and the boy said “life is too hard on the outside”.

The defendant had been exposed to drug use, pro criminal behaviours and neglect during his childhood.

He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery with violence in company, one of attempted armed robbery in company and one of arson.

The defendant spent 287 days in presentence custody which was declared as time served on his 18 months detention sentence of which he was to serve half.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Rockhampton teen torched stolen car for meth