A wheel appears to fall off a stolen car as police chase it through Canberra on 25 June. Photo: ACT Policing.
Police have arrested seven teenagers after officers got into a car chase with two stolen vehicles.
During the dangerous incident, the drivers of the stolen cars allegedly drove at a police officer before crashing into a police vehicle.
An ACT Policing spokesperson said officers spotted a stolen Volkswagen T-Roc SUV in Gungahlin at around 8 pm on Thursday (25 June).
The T-Roc was tracked to Watson, where it stopped beside a stolen Volkswagen Golf hatchback.
“Police attempted to cordon the vehicles in a cul-de-sac, but the drivers mounted the kerb to avoid arrest, driving at one officer deploying stop-sticks and striking a police vehicle in the process,” the spokesperson alleged.
Officers began chasing both cars. The Golf stopped after a short distance and police arrested the four female teenage occupants.
Police later found the T-Roc in Kingston. They arrested three male teenagers nearby who are alleged to have been its occupants.
The seven teenagers, ranging in age from 14 to 19, were handed different charges, including driving or riding in stolen motor vehicles, driving at police, failing to stop for police and driving while disqualified.
Six were scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates or Childrens Court on Friday (26 June), while an 18-year-old woman was scheduled to face the courts in October.
In the Magistrates Court on Friday, a 19-year-old woman was charged with riding in a stolen motor vehicle, did not apply for bail, was remanded in custody, and her matter was adjourned to 9 July.
An 18-year-old man was charged with riding or driving a stolen motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police before he applied for bail, but he had to demonstrate special or exceptional circumstances existed to favour the granting of bail.
His lawyer, Eimear Silk of Legal Aid, said his friend had overdosed one week ago, while his mother had died a few years prior, so he was dealing with grief.
She also said his father was currently in Canberra’s jail on serious charges and her client was trying to keep his distance from him.
But Magistrate Glenn Theakston said these were not special or exceptional circumstances and refused bail.
“It’s an unfortunate, ordinary human experience to lose loved ones, even in difficult or unexpected circumstances,” he said.
The man was remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned to 29 June.
These two teenagers have not been named as that could identify their underage co-defendants.