Teen breaks into Vinnies Allenstown after Christmas
A 16-year-old on probation for robbery broke into a Vinnies using a stolen car to ram the charity’s gates, then stole a second car to commit further crimes.
Police & Courts
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A teenager who aspires to become an electrician broke into a charity by using one vehicle to ram a gate before stealing a second vehicle and driving off to commit further offences.
The offender, aged 16, was already subject to an 18-month probation order for a robbery sentence handed to him in the Children’s Court of Queensland, along with being on bail for other offences including an unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing petrol.
He entered pleas of guilty to nine offences in Rockhampton Children’s Court on December 30, including three offences committed against the charity organisation St Vincent de Paul.
Police prosecutor Clancy Fox said he broke into the building at Allenstown on December 28 at night, using a vehicle to ram the gate and then stealing another vehicle.
According to the charges read out in court when the juvenile entered his pleas, the vehicle used to ram the gate belonged to Suncoast Rural Pty.
Mr Fox said the teen, who has an 11-page juvenile history, used the second vehicle to commit other offences, including unlawful use of a motor vehicle at night.
The teen also pleaded guilty to an unlawful use of a motor vehicle on December 12 in Rockhampton and to stealing fuel from a Yeppoon petrol station that same day.
He also pleaded guilty to entering a premise and committing an indictable offence on December 14 and an unlawful use of a motor vehicle in Mount Morgan on December 29.
Mr Fox requested a presentence report prior to his sentence being handed down.
Defence lawyer Virginia Ukpabi made a bail application for the child to live with his father and brother in the Rockhampton region.
She said her client aspired to become an electrician after he completes Year 12 at the end of 2025.
Ms Ukpabi said he attributed his offending to “associating with the wrong crowd” and his offending had escalated in the past year because of a lack of contact with his mother, who lives in another state.
The court heard there was CCTV evidence of his offending.
Mr Fox said the teen, while not having been sentenced to a detention order in the past, had spent time in juvenile detention and that had not deterred him from reoffending.
Mr Fox said he had also been subject to nine Restorative Justice referrals and one Restorative Justice Order, which was handed to him on October 16.
Acting magistrate Stephen Byrne said young inexperienced, unlicensed drivers created dangers to other road users.
He refused to grant the child bail, ordered a presentence report be prepared and set the teen’s sentence to be finalised on January 21.
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Originally published as Teen breaks into Vinnies Allenstown after Christmas
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