Child stealing accused says offer of lift was innocent

A STRANGER accused of attempted child stealing after allegedly telling a schoolboy “get in the f---ing car” claims he was simply offering him a lift to the bus stop, a court has heard.

Lachlan John McDonald, who has pleaded not guilty to attempted child stealing, told the first day of the trial in Southport District Court he merely offered him a lift as he looked like he was running late for the bus. He told police when the boy declined, he drove home.

The court was shown a police interview with the boy from the day of the incident on April 1, 2019. The 13-year-old said he was walking to a Burleigh Heads bus stop when a man, driving a white Ford Falcon, pulled up and asked if he wanted a lift.

The boy, who was catching the bus to school, said he declined. He told police the man allegedly became aggressive and said “get in the f---ing car”.

He then ran towards the bus stop.

In the interview he told police the man was wearing a black hat and sunglasses and that the car contained a brown suitcase and blue sheet.

McDonald was arrested on April 2.

He denied telling him to get in the car and told police when he returned from an early morning shop he noticed a child running up the street.

“I saw the bus, it was just about there. I did a (U-turn) said ‘Mate do you want a lift up to the bus’. He said ‘No thanks’ and I said ‘alrighty mate’ … so I turned and drove home,” he told police.

In the interview he denied being attracted to young boys.

Koala Koaches bus driver Mark Pols told the court he saw a man in a white early model Ford Falcon, speaking with the child on April 1.

He said when he saw the boy run up the hill he “knew something wasn’t right”.

Mr Pols told the court the boy told him the man said: “Get in the f---ing car”.

But under cross examination barrister James McNab questioned why he didn’t mention that in an internal incident report.

“I thought I wrote that down in it,” Mr Pols said.

The court heard Mr Pols saw the vehicle again the next day and took down the number plate.

The trial continues.