Braydon Hearn jailed after crashing stolen 4WD into Oakey home

The 18-year-old and a mate led police on a pursuit which came to an abrupt halt when the stolen 4WD crashed into an Oakey house.

The stolen 4WD came to an abrupt halt after crashing into the front of this Oakey home.

A teenager who crashed a stolen 4WD into a house at Oakey leaving a damage bill of almost $100,000 has been jailed for 15 months.

Braydon Hearn had been placed on probation less than 24 hours earlier when he and another teenager engaged in a 300km pursuit in the stolen Landcruiser, which had been taken from a Raff St residence, late on the night of August 17.

Despite police spikes blowing out the 4WD’s front tyres on 4AK Road, the car had sped on until coming to an abrupt halt after the 4WD failed to negotiate a bend at the intersection with Hamlyn Road and crashed into home.

Police prosecutor Cameron Francis told Toowoomba Magistrates Court damage to the house amounted to $36,500 while damage to the car was $55,424 leaving a total damage bill of $92,000.

The crash scene from inside a bedroom where the stolen 4WD came to rest.

Mr Francis said insurance had covered most of the damage cost but he had been instructed to seek $1000 excess for the vehicle.

Hearn had since spent 53 days in custody and appeared via video link from Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre to plead guilty to all charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, disqualified driving and breaching a court order.

The last offence arose from Hearn calling an approved person from the prison but getting that person to contact another person with whom he was not to have contact.

His solicitor Michael Corbin said his client was just 18 and had spent 53 days in an adult prison.

“He told me ‘I don’t like it, it’s nothing like juvi, get me out of here’,” he said.

Mr Corbin said his client’s time in custody had been particularly difficult as the prison had been in lockdown leaving prisoners in their cells 20 hours a day.

When released from custody, the teenager intended returning to Chinchilla to live with family, he said.

The stolen 4WD sustained $55,424 in damages while the house damage amounted $36,500, the court heard.

Magistrate Howard Osborne sentenced Hearn to 15 months in jail but, declaring the 53 days as time already served, ordered he be released on parole on December 18 after having served four months.

Mr Osborne fined Hearn a total $3400 which was referred to SPER and disqualified him from driving for varying terms ranging from six months to two years.