Teen’s Rockhampton region crime spree revealed

A teenager’s nine-day crime spree and the terror he left in his wake across the Rockhampton region has been revealed in court.

A young teenager used a fire extinguisher as a weapon in one of four armed robberies he carried out across Central Queensland during a nine-day crime spree, a court heard.

During the teen sentencing in the Children’s Court of Queensland recently, Judge Jeff Clarke said the defendant, now aged 17, joined other males after they stole a Kia Picanto from a 73-year-old man and his wife in her 30s in Woorabinda on November 11, 2023 during a violent robbery and drove it to Rockhampton.

After they picked the teen up, they went on to commit armed robberies at The Lionleigh Pub, IGA, Raffles Hotel and Pine Beach Hotel.

Six days later, the teen also robbed a woman outside Stockland Rockhampton.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Keast said the Lionleigh Pub robbery in Wandal occurred while the pub was closed but there were still two staff members at the venue who heard two of the attackers “making a ruckus” and confronted them.

One of several crimes was carried out at Raffles Hotel in Rockhampton.

He said the victims attempted to lock the attackers out and one of the group punched the victim several times in the arm.

Mr Keast said the defendant threw an object at the door and after the group shattered it, they stole eight bottles of Vodka Cruisers along with one of the victim’s backpacks.

Judge Clarke said the defendant, armed with a glass bottle, and his co-offender, still armed still with the hammer, chased the victims who feared for their lives.

“That’s a completely outrageous event that occurred,” he said.

Mr Keast said one of the victims suffered cuts to his arms while the other suffered chest pain “which could have had some great consequences in light of his pacemaker”.

The defendant and an unknown co-offender went on to break into a neighbouring IGA.

The others joined them and together they stole $1500 of cigarettes.

They then went to Raffles Hotel about 2.15am, shattered a door and stole items including a drawer of a cash register.

“(They) all fled in that (stolen) car, narrowly avoiding police who’d arrived at the scene only a couple of minutes later,” Judge Clarke said.

The Pine Beach Hotel.

The group then drove to Emu Park and broke into the Pine Beach Hotel about 4.30am.

Mr Keast said a staff member, aged 63, confronted the group and positioned herself between the stolen goods and the exit.

Judge Clarke said the defendant picked up a fire extinguisher, raised it above his head and threatened the victim with it, yelling at her to give him money which she replied there wasn’t any.

“She was obviously scared that (the defendant) was going to throw it at her,” he said.

Mr Keast said the victim of the Pine Beach Hotel robbery effectively had to retire on a pension because of its impact on her.

Judge Clarke said this victim wrote in an impact statement that her life has never been the same.

“She was forced into early retirement for a garbage full of alcohol by some young thieves who have no respect for anyone or anything that crosses their selfish paths,” he said.

Judge Clarke said someone outside the venue told the defendant to “hurry up” and the offenders left.

Stockland Rockhampton Shopping Centre. Picture: Aden Stokes

Six days later, the defendant produced a knife on a woman walking back to her car at Stockland Rockhampton after having sushi for dinner with friends.

Judge Clarke said the defendant demanded the woman hand over her car keys, telling her “we’ll stab you” while “tussling with her for a handbag”.

The defendant got away with the bag which contained the keys and other personal items and he, along with his two co-offenders, drove off in her car.

Judge Clarke said the victim from Stockland Rockhampton wrote in her statement that she didn’t just suffer the financial impact of losing her car and child safety seats inside, it was also the loss of the mobility used in daily life and used to transport her children.

They then carried out a $53.99 fuel drive-off at the North Rockhampton BP before stopping at the Marmor BP, where the defendant smashed a glass bottle on the counter and pointed it at the staff member, stole cash and seven or eight packets of cigarettes before another fuel drive-off worth $85.65.

Generic teenage knife crime stock image. Source: Getty

His co-offender stood watch outside.

Judge Clarke said the material provided showed the juvenile had grown up in an environment where criminal behaviour was the norm, was exposed to substance abuse and he was “shipped around between family members” as his mother neglected him.

The court heard the juvenile, who had a 15-page juvenile criminal record, had been “on the lam” for some months which was why these offences were being finalised 18 months later.

Judge Clarke said after the defendant’s release on bail for these offences to Woorabinda to live with his grandmother, he was “effectively going to parties, smoking lots of marijuana and drinking lots of alcohol” before he was taken into custody.

He said however, the defendant and his co-offenders in this spree “went to the trouble of not getting intoxicated” by substances while carrying out this offending “so they could get away with it”.

Judge Clarke said the child had “indicated (his) unwillingness to accept any support for (his) drug and substance abuse, alcohol problem which is terribly concerning”.

A teen was sentenced

“My worry is that when (he is) released, (he will) get back into the same sort of thing,” Judge Clarke said.

No family members were in court to support the child and none had participated in the presentence report writing process, the court heard.

The teenager pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery in company, three of enter premises by break and commit indictable offence, two of unlawful use of a motor vehicle in company at night and used to commit an indictable offence, two dishonest gain (fuel drive offs) offences, one of stealing and one of entering a premise with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He was sentenced to 18-months detention to be released after serving 60 per cent.

Convictions were recorded for all offences.

Originally published as Teen’s Rockhampton region crime spree revealed