Night knife threats soar
POLICE have concerns about a “new style” of crime emerging in Townsville, with several cases of people targeted at knifepoint on their way to their cars after dark.
A woman hurled a water bottle at a would- be robber when she was threatened after leaving work at the KFC C in Ingham Rd, Garbutt on Sunday night.
The 53- year- old had finished work and was entering her vehicle about 11pm when she was approached by a man who demanded her purse while threatening her with a knife.
Acting Inspector Graeme Patterson said the woman acted the best she could when she threw the bottle and the of- fender ran off empty- handed.
“She’s been assisted by another two people who came to her aid,” Insp Patterson said. “The purse wasn’t stolen. “This comes on the back of a couple of incidents in the last week where we have people who have been going to vehicles who have been targeted by somebody willing to use a level of violence to execute a theft.”
Insp Patterson said he was concerned about an emerging trend of armed offenders threatening people going to their cars.
Three teenagers were arrested and charged in relation to two armed robberies on consecutive nights last week.
It will be alleged on October 5 at 8.25pm a 23- year- old man was walking to his car in Golf Links Drive at Kirwan when he was approached by three males all armed with knives who made off with his phone, wallet and other items.
On October 6 about 10.10pm a 61- year- old man was sitting in his parked van in a carpark on Hervey Range Rd when he was approached by three males.
One of them allegedly threatened him with a knife and demanded his vehicle. But when they tried to drive the van they crashed into a bollard before fleeing.
“Now we’ve seen different styles of committing crime and this seems to be a style of modus operandi that’s appeared in the last week and that concerns me because it’s actually a style of committing crime that puts people’s personal safety at risk,” Insp Patterson said.
He urged people to be mindful of their surroundings, especially after dark and when they had items that could be viewed as valuable.