Kids need to heed warnings

THE warning last week from the grandfather of Lucius Baira-hill, one of the four teens killed in a stolen car crash at Garbutt, has fallen on deaf ears.

Lucius’ grandad made an impassioned plea at the 13-year-old’s funeral, “Young people out there, you need to understand that this is the result of what happens when you start driving around in stolen cars … you leave a lot of sorrow around.”

But yesterday, Townsville’s youth crime crisis continued unabated.

Another four youths, this time all boys, were arrested and charged after they were allegedly involved in a hit and run, and two assaults after stealing a car.

Senior Sergeant Scot Warrick, from the Townsville Police, said the four boys, known to authorities, were driving the stolen vehicle dangerously and erratically. Eerily, the stolen car was a white Kia. It was another stolen white Kia that the four teens lost their lives in just over two weeks ago.

Police understandably are at their wits’ end.

“Here we are with the exact same scenario, a stolen vehicle, juveniles involved,” Snr-sgt Warrick said.

“I don’t know what we need to do to get the message through. A split second can change everyone’s lives.”

The alarming thing for Townsville residents is that the kids, after ditching the car at Currajong around 10am yesterday, tried to flee on foot.

Along the way they allegedly attacked anyone who got in their way.

A property owner was struck in the head with a set of multigrips and ended up in hospital.

The four youths have been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, obstructing and assaulting police, with more charges pending.

Hopefully they will be not let out again. Surely, the Government’s new “tough on youth crime legislation” will keep them off the streets.

What they have done should make them an “unacceptable risk” to the community and themselves.