A 15-year-old boy has been charged after a stolen ute disrupted an Anzac Day parade in Townsville, Australia’s largest garrison city.
The Thuringowa march, scheduled for 9am Friday, was delayed as police searched for a ute allegedly linked to multiple hit-and-run incidents earlier that morning. As a precaution, participants were directed off the road onto nearby paths.
According to a police spokesperson, the teenager faces several charges, including two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count of armed robbery. He briefly appeared in the Townsville Children’s Court on Monday and was remanded in custody.
Police thanked the public for their patience and cooperation, and later located the stolen vehicle in the Townsville suburb of Douglas on Friday morning. Investigations are ongoing, and no one has yet been charged with driving the ute during the parade disruption.
Community concern over stolen vehicles
The incident has heightened concerns about stolen vehicles in Townsville, with Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr condemning the rise in car thefts as “disgraceful.”
The issue arises amid debate over Queensland’s “Making Queensland Safer” Bill. Under the new laws, a key pledge of the LNP’s election campaign — encapsulated by the slogan “adult crime, adult time” — juveniles can now be sentenced as adults for serious offences such as murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, and burglary.
Premier David Crisafulli stated on Monday that the recently introduced youth crime laws were starting to show results. He noted government data indicated a decline in car thefts and break-ins, with 503 fewer stolen vehicles reported across Queensland in the first quarter of the year.
“While these improvements come from a very high base, they show progress, and our work is far from over,” Mr Crisafulli said.
