Thieves take couple’s Audi on 3000km cross country joyride

A Toowoomba man and his partner are out of pocket nearly $30,000 after young thieves stole their cars and trashed them - an insult made worse by the crims broadcasting their hijinks on social media.

Brazen offenders shared photos of themselves with two Audis that they stolen from a Ramsay Street address on June 14.

In the early hours of a Monday morning, a group of car thieves slithered into a Middle Ridge home while the occupants slept.

They found a handbag on the kitchen bench; inside it were the keys to two high-powered cars – an Audi TT and Audi A1 – parked in the garage.

The crims knew what they were doing.

Instead of starting the cars in the garage and waking the owners, they put them in neutral, rolled them on the street, fired the engine and disappeared into the night.

This burglary occurred on June 14, but it could have happened at any time, with these types of sneak breaks becoming an almost nightly affair.

In the past month, more than 90 vehicles have been stolen from within the Darling Downs police district.

This takes in the city and rural towns from Goondiwindi to Kingaroy.

The thieves are targeting unlocked homes to gain access to car keys and have recently taken a fancy to high-powered sports cars, SUVs and 4WDs.

The Audi was stolen from a Ramsay Street home on June 14, in Toowoomba.

The Audi TT’s owner Andrew Mead said he was alerted to the theft a few hours after it occurred when the police came knocking.

“One of the Audis was involved in a pursuit,” he said.

He sat up all night sharing photos on social media and trying to track down the cars with his partner Rebecca.

“We started to get sightings,” he said.

They came from all over the district, and Mr Mead soon feared that his car was gone for good.

“The police advised me the next day that one of the cars had filled with fuel at a Withcott servo and they drove off without paying,” Mr Mead said. “They thought the car was on the way to Brisbane.”

As luck would have it, the thieves headed back to Toowoomba, and Mr Mead saw two Audis whiz pass his partner’s house on the Tuesday night.

“One of them was mine – I recognised it straight away because there are not too many Audi TTs around,” he said.

This tip-off led police to a Kearney Springs aged care village where they located the Audi TT, abandoned in a cul-de-sac.

“I think they stalled it,” Mr Mead said.

The second Audi was recovered the next day at a Kearneys Spring home.

Mr Mead said the Audi TT was a write-off.

“It looked like they took it off-road,” he said.

Every panel was dented and there was extensive damage to the undercarriage.

Mr Mead suspects that the thieves were jumping on the vehicle at one point, with boot prints and dents across the bonnet.

“It needed $23,000 worth of repairs and a new gearbox and clutch,” he said.

While his partner’s Audi A1 was in a better state, the odometer showed that it had travelled about 3000km in three days.

“They are going to kill someone if they are hooning around in the high performances vehicles,” Mr Mead said.

Through the three-day ordeal, Mr Mead and his partner were sent countless messages that included sightings and photos of their cars.

At one point they were sent a video shot by the thieves inside the Audi A1.

“We showed the police, and they recognised the offenders straight away,” he said.

“They don’t seem to care if they drive around at night or during the day.”

Mr Mead called for harsher penalties and more resources to help police track stolen cars.

“The police are doing their best, but I think their hands are tied,” he said.

Several offenders had been arrested and were working their way through the courts.

In the meantime, Mr Mead and his partner have been left to pick up the pieces, negotiate with insurers and secure their homes.

“The cars can be replaced, but the fact that someone has invaded your property is upsetting,” he said.

“Anything could happen.”