Teen charged twice in three days over alleged stolen car pursuits

A 14-year-old boy has been charged for the second time in three days in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) after allegedly being involved in a police pursuit while driving a stolen car. The incident occurred on Sunday night when officers spotted a stolen white Skoda Octavia in Yarralumla and pursued it through several southern Canberra suburbs.

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We were literally talking centimetres from a tragedy, a real tragedy, that's how dire things are.

Despite police deploying tyre spikes in Kambah, the driver allegedly refused to stop, continuing to speed through local streets. The vehicle eventually stopped, and the teenager, who was reportedly already on bail, was arrested. He faces charges including dangerous driving, unlicensed driving, failing to stop for police, and driving a vehicle without consent.

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The danger to the public, the danger to our members and the danger to these offenders is immeasurable really.

This arrest follows a dramatic stolen vehicle pursuit just three days prior, on Thursday night, involving seven teenagers. During that incident, an officer was allegedly driven at, and a police car was struck. Alex Caruana, president of the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA), described the situation as dire, stating officers were "literally talking centimetres from a tragedy."

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It's just silly, stupid behaviour that puts a lot of people at risk.

Adding to the concern, a separate incident on Friday involved two men, also on bail, allegedly tailgating an ambulance with its lights and sirens activated in a stolen four-wheel drive. Police reported the vehicle followed the ambulance through red lights and drove alongside it in bike lanes and on the road shoulder before later colliding with a police car. The vehicle was pursued into Lawson, where it drove through locked gates at a construction site. Two men, aged 19 and 30, have been charged with breach of bail and riding in a motor vehicle without consent, while a third occupant is being sought by police. Superintendent Anthony Brown expressed frustration over alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail, highlighting the immense danger to the public, police, and the offenders themselves. The AFPA is advocating for tougher bail laws for repeat offenders, with Caruana emphasizing that individuals who break promises made to the court cannot be trusted.

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If someone has already made a commitment to the courts that they're not going to do something … and they break that promise, they can't be trusted.