‘We got tired of walking’ so... we stole 3 quad bikes

THREE teenage boys had become “tired of walking” so they stole a quad bike each from a motorcycle business and led police on a chase through Toowoomba streets, a city court has been told.

The trio, aged 16, 14, and 13 respectively, had driven off from the business with staff in pursuit on Tuesday and ignored calls from staff and police to stop as they rode past police patrols on James, Helen and O’Quinn Sts, Toowoomba Children’s Court heard.

The quad bikes were seen to cross onto the wrong side of the road and travel through stop signs, police prosecutor Natalie Bugden said.

Due to safety reasons, police withdrew from the chase.

Police claim the trio stopped at Captain Cook Park in Wilsonton, swapped bikes and carried on.

Eventually, one of the trio had abandoned his bike on James St while the other two bikes were found at an address in Centenary Hts where two of the three were taken into custody.

However, police claim the drama had begun the day before when the 16-year-old, at home alone in Chinchilla, had allegedly stolen his uncle’s unregistered car.

Having picked up his 13-year-old mate, the pair drove toward Toowoomba until spotted by a police patrol on the Warrego Hwy outside Dalby, police claim.

Sergeant Bugden said police had followed the stolen car which was clocked doing 149kmh in a 100kmh zone and accelerating away.

The car was seen to speed through roadworks on the highway.

Again, police had withdrawn from the pursuit on safety grounds.

When later apprehended, the 16-year-old had told police he believed he was doing 150kmh when he sped away from police, Sgt Bugden told the court.

Having spent the night in the watch house, the three appeared separately before the Children’s Court on various charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and unlawful use of motor vehicles.

The 14-year-old Toowoomba boy did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear before the same court later this month.

Acting Magistrate Roger Stark adjourned the bail applications of the other two co-accused until next week.