Kalgoorlie teen jailed after stealing cars with children in them
A Kalgoorlie-Boulder teenager who stole two cars with children inside as their mothers tried desperately to stop him has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars.
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named, stole a Kia Sorento station wagon from a West Kalgoorlie driveway in January this year while under the influence of methamphetamine.
A one-year-old and a 10-month-old baby were inside the car, and the teen dumped them beside a road within minutes after discovering them in the back seat, the Perth Children's Court was told.
The pair were left in 40 degree Celsius heat for about 10 minutes before they were found by a member of the public.
CCTV vision captured from a neighbouring house showed the toddler appeared distressed, and the baby lay face down on the hot pavement.
The children's mother was injured trying to prevent them from being taken.
The teenager then crashed the car and fled as witnesses attempted to stop him.
At a recycling depot, he jumped into another car, which had a nine-year-old boy in the front passenger seat.
Again the boy's mother tried to stop the teen, with the court hearing she was "holding on for dear life" to the door handle.
She was dragged along the gravel road for about 10 metres, and needed stitches for her injuries.
The car sped off down a bush track and the nine-year-old jumped out of the moving vehicle after about three minutes.
The court heard the child feared for his life, as his mother had previously warned him of kidnappers.
The teenage driver was subsequently charged with deprivation of liberty, aggravated robbery causing bodily harm and a number of other driving offences.
He wore a grey tracksuit when he faced the Perth Children's Court, which was told he had been in custody for four months, the longest he had spent on remand.
He was described as "intelligent" and "respectful", with his behaviour in custody noted to have improved.
The court heard "significant and prolonged" drug use likely contributed to his behaviour on the day of the carjackings, with the teen first exposed to drugs at the age of seven.
The court was told his time in custody had been "a wake-up call" and he had no interest in returning to his substance use when released from custody.
He has been at Unit 18 at the adult Casuarina Prison facility since April, which the court heard was a "more intense regime" than Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
His Goldfields-based family had not visited him while in custody, the court heard.
Acting Children's Court President Mara Barone told the teenager she accepted he had expressed genuine remorse for his actions, and understood the seriousness of his offending.Judge Barone said the offending was aggravated as the teenager was already subject to a youth supervision order over separate burglary offences.She said an immediate term of imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence for the boy.He must serve seven months before he is eligible to apply for parole.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Diddy trial descends into courtroom chaos
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs descended into chaos on Tuesday, US time, when a ranting member of the public was forcibly removed from the court as the music mogul looked on. 'These motherf***ers are laughing at you,' the woman was reported to have screamed before testimony began at the federal court in Downtown Manhattan. Meanwhile a security guard at a ritzy hotel has testified he buried CCTV of Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend for $150,000 with the star telling him not to make any 'big purchases' with the windfall. Combs is on trial in New York on federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs has denied all the charges. The trial is popular for spectators given the court is the only place to see the live testimony which is not streamed or broadcast anywhere else. The main courtroom is often full from early in the day with family members, journalists, influencers, fans and others simply interested in the case. Many queue overnight to get in. On Tuesday, after Combs entered the courtroom, a woman got up and shouted 'Diddy,' leading him to turn round. 'These motherf***ers are laughing at you,' she said. She also railed against the 'system,' reported the New York Post, before being warned by marshals to not 'do it again'. The woman was then led away before the jury came into the room. YouTuber banned from court The conduct of some in the court has become increasingly concerning for Judge Arun Subramanian. On June 2, federal prosecutors told the judge that one of the many YouTubers, who rush out of the courthouse during each break to report live on events inside, used the real name of a witness who the court demanded should remain anonymous. 'Mia' gave evidence for three days until Monday of this week. She was a former assistant to Combs and testified that the star had raped and assaulted her. She was only referred to as 'Mia' in court and court sketches didn't show her face. That YouTuber has now been banned from the case for allegedly using her real name on his transmission. Also on Tuesday, a security guard at the Los Angeles InterContinental Hotel took the stand. It was at this hotel, in March 2016, that Combs was caught on CCTV violently assaulting his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura in the corridor. Eddy Garcia, who had been given immunity from prosecution due to his testimony, said that senior Combs' staff member Kristina Khorram called hotel security shortly after the assault to see if there was 'any possible way to get a copy of the video'. 'Off the record, it's bad,' Mr Garcia said he told her. Mr Garcia told the court that he told both Ms Khorram, and later Combs himself, that only hotel management could release the CCTV. 'Eddy, my angel': Combs He testified that Combs then said 'he would take care of me' if could obtain the footage. The security guard said he went to his boss who replied he 'would do it for 50,' which was $50,000 ($A77,000). 'Eddy, my angel, I knew you could do it,' Combs said, according to Mr Garcia. But he insisted he had to have the 'only copy'. Mr Garcia then dropped off a USB with the video to an address given to him by Combs where he was requested to sign a confidentiality agreement and threatened with a $1 million penalty if he broke it. In total Combs gave him $100,000 ($A154,000) which he split with his boss and another colleague. He said the musician told him not to make any 'big purchases' with the cash.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Telstra fined for disruption to emergency call service used by people with hearing, speech impairments
Telstra has again fallen short of regulator standards and community expectations in providing access to emergency services. The telco giant has paid a penalty and agreed to launch an independent review after it mistakenly disabled its connection to an emergency call relay service, which is used by people with hearing or speech impairments. In a life- or property-threatening time-critical emergency situation, Australians should contact triple-0 (000) — or, if they are using a type and listen or teletypewriter (TTY) device, they can dial 106 to be connected to police, fire or ambulance services. An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found the 106 emergency call service number was inadvertently made unavailable for 12 hours and 46 minutes between July 5 and 6 2024, following a server migration process. TTY is a text-based communication method for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impairments, allowing them to communicate via typed text over a phone line. A relay officer reads out the text a person types into their TTY device to an emergency operator. ACMA says it takes any disruption to an emergency call service very seriously, given there could be devastating consequences for members of the public. "This mistake could have contributed to very serious harm if someone who relies on this service had needed emergency assistance but was unable to get through," ACMA member and consumer lead Samantha Yorke said. "Fortunately, the records show no one attempted to use the 106 service for an emergency during the time the service was disabled." Under emergency call service rules, carriers must maintain the proper and effective functioning of their networks and facilities that are used to carry emergency calls. An analyst has raised concerns about the repeated failure of Australia's largest telecommunications providers to meet basic consumer needs. In December 2024, the ACMA imposed a $3 million penalty on Telstra after an investigation found 473 breaches of emergency call rules when Telstra's triple-0 call centre experienced a disruption for 90 minutes. "We've now had two major emergency service failures from Telstra in under a year," telecommunications consultant Paul Budde said, describing the incidents as "warning signs that core infrastructure is being compromised". Telstra has given the ACMA a court-enforceable undertaking to improve its relevant change management processes. It has also engaged an independent reviewer to look at the range of operational arrangements that support reliable delivery of the 106 emergency call service. "For years, Telstra has tried to position itself as a high-value tech company rather than a reliable utility," Mr Budde said. "But you can't build a shiny digital future on crumbling foundations. Telstra has also paid a penalty of $18,780, the maximum the ACMA could impose under the circumstances. Mr Budde said it was "pocket change" for the telco. "We need penalties that actually hurt — or better yet, incentives that reward doing the right thing." Optus was penalised a record $12 million by ACMA in late 2024 for a November 2023 network outage that caused considerable disruption to emergency call services. Telstra has committed to an independent review of its systems and says it will implement any reasonable recommendations of the review, develop and provide staff training and report regularly to ACMA on its progress implementing these undertakings. In a written statement, a Telstra spokesperson told the ABC that while no emergency calls failed during the disruption on July 6, 2024, the Telco understands the "critical importance of maintaining reliable emergency call services and the potential consequences of any disruption." 'We fully accept the findings of the ACMA and have committed to an independent review of our change management processes and operational arrangements to ensure such a mistake doesn't happen again,' the spokesperson said.
The Australian
6 hours ago
- The Australian
Murder trial date set in Samantha Murphy case
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. A trial date has been set for the man accused of murdering Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy. Patrick Orren Stephenson, who stands charged with Murphy's alleged murder, will stand trial from April 8 next year following an extended pre-trial process that will stretch into late 2025. The trial will begin shortly after the Easter period in 2026, bringing the case into the spotlight more than two years after Murphy's death. It comes after the accused was transported from Melbourne Assessment Prison to Enfield State Park, south of Ballarat, where excavators were used to dig up an undisclosed area. It was the second time Mr Stephenson was escorted to the site by police, after a similar operation in November last year. No human remains were located during either search. Murphy, a mother of three, vanished on February 4, 2023, after setting out on a 14km run through the Canadian State Forest, which she was known to frequent. Her disappearance triggered a major search involving police and volunteers, spanning bushland areas including the Canadian State Forest, Enfield State Park, and Buninyong Bushland Reserve. Mr Stephenson was arrested a month later and charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty and was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court. Police have not disclosed what led them to return to the Enfield site, and there is no suggestion that Mr Stephenson's attendance indicates he knows the whereabouts of Murphy's body. In June last year, Murphy's credit cards, driver's licence, and iPhone – which was inside a teal-coloured cover – were recovered from the bottom of a dam in Buninyong. The phone was reportedly in near-perfect condition. Mohammad Alfares Journalist Mohammad Alfares, a journalist and a keen fisherman. Growing up, I would film and edit 'productions' I made with family friends every holiday. Combined with my love of writing and storytelling, being a journalist was the perfect fit! I obtained a Bachelor of Communication at Massey University in New Zealand and was lucky enough to get my first taste of the industry in broadcast journalism. Outside of work, I keep my hunger for adrenaline satisfied by chasing a big fish! I'll also find time to relax too, either with a cup of coffee or enjoying some fresh air and sunshine. Mohammad Alfares
