Toowoomba mum’s wild police chase in stolen car revealed in court

A Toowoomba woman spent her child’s first birthday behind bars after two years of stolen car chases, drug possession, home invasions and resisting arrest.

Brooke Myra Hazel Walton-Tate pleaded guilty to a number of crimes in March afer being locked up on January 12.

A young Darling Downs mother spent her child’s first birthday in custody after a spate of more than 30 crimes within two years.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard the most serious crime Brooke Myra Hazel Walton-Tate committed was evading police, where she drove in excess of 130km/h in a car with no registration plates attached.

The court heard that not long before the police chase occurred on January 6, which had to be aborted due to Tate’s dangerous driving, she was involved in a different police chase involving a stolen car.

On that occasion, Tate was a passenger in the car.

The court heard that during the chase, she hung parts of her body out of the car in “celebration” of the crime.

The 24-year-old was arrested on January 12 after police spiked the tires of a stolen car she was travelling in with co-offenders.

The court heard Tate tried to run, but police quickly chased her down in the middle of Clifford St, Toowoomba, where she resisted arrest.

In 2024, Tate was caught by a resident breaking into a Darling Downs home where she took off with a woman’s car keys.

The 32 charges Tate pleaded guilty involved drugs, stealing, bail breaches, and a number of fuel drive-offs that she committed while unlicensed.

The court heard the qualified carpenter had no criminal history, and her drug use and social circle contributed to the crime spree.

Tate appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video-link on Monday, March 17, and pleaded guilty to 32 crimes including; entering a home and committing a crime, evading police, possessing drugs and needles, travelling in a car with a body part out of the window, obstructing police, and unlawful use of a car while in custody.

She was sentenced to a 64-day jail term and two-year probation order, and the days she spent in pre-sentence custody were declared as time served.

Given the mother’s young age, lack of criminal offending, and future job prospects, no conviction was recorded.