Teen crime spree ends in probation
WARWICK teenager Tyson James Dennison is the latest person to front court over a regional crime spree that saw a number of vehicles torched after they were swiped from properties.
Dennison was one of a number of teens who went on the senseless rampage, which spanned about two months and saw 17 vehicles broken into or stolen and a number of homes and businesses targeted.
The 17-year-old appeared in the Warwick Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges, including break and enter and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Co-accused Dallas Ashley Duncan walked free from the court last week after pleading guilty to 36 charges.
The court heard Dennison's role in the crimes began on August 19, when the group involved targeted a vehicle parked outside a Goondiwindi residence.
The police prosecutor told the court the 1992 Commodore was locked by its owner and at some stage overnight the group stole the vehicle from the home.
Police received reports the vehicle was being driven around Boggabilla the next day and officers later recovered the burnt-out vehicle under a bridge near the Toomelah Mission.
Defence lawyer Daniel Haberman told the court Dennison was living at the Toomelah Mission at the time of the offences with his girlfriend and daughter, but had since relocated back to Warwick.
Shortly after the vehicle's theft and destruction, police sought out Dennison and the court heard that after a "short foot chase", the teen was apprehended and taken to Goondiwindi police station.
Dennison admitted to police that he and five friends had driven to Goondiwindi with the intention of stealing a vehicle, "black boxed" the Commodore and drove it - at times erratically - back to the Toomelah Mission.
The vehicle of a Warwick resident was next on the group's hit list, with a 1992 Commodore stolen from a Dragon St residence overnight on August 19.
Mr Haberman told the court Dennison was woken from his sleep by the group, who told him they had stolen the car from a neighbouring street.
The court heard the group again took the car back to the Toomelah Mission, where it met the same smouldering fate as the other vehicle and was found completely burnt out.
Members of the criminal group entered a Goondiwindi residence through an unlocked door on September 5 and stole the keys to a 2004 model Toyota Landcruiser.
They later used the vehicle to commit break-ins at a hotel in Yelarbon and a bowls club in Inglewood, from both of which they stole a substantial amount of alcohol such as Jim Beam and gin.
Once it had served its purpose, the delinquents set fire to the vehicle - valued at about $34,000 - and dumped it in the Macintyre River.
The uninsured vehicle was completely destroyed and the court heard neither Dennison nor Duncan would be able to pay back any money to their victims.
One of the most concerning acts carried out by the group was when they used a Commodore they stole from Boggabilla, in a ram raid on an Inglewood hotel.
The group smashed the car into the bottle shop and cleared the store of a large amount of alcohol, including a whole row of Jim Beam bottles.
Dennison was placed on 15 months probation, which included conditions requiring him to undertake literacy and numeracy courses and counselling for alcohol abuse.
He was further ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.