TEEN CRIMS POUNCE ON LAIDBACK WAY OF LIFE

A SERIES of armed hold-ups and brazen home invasions across the Far North has prompted a warning from concerned police.

Two teenage girls and a teenage boy were charged after allegedly holding a man at knifepoint and stealing his vehicle from a Mount Sheridan carpark on Thursday.

Further north, a young Port Douglas father-of-two has chased an intruder out of his home in the middle of the night after waking to find a young man rummaging through drawers near his sleeping daughter’s bedroom.

Far North Det Acting Insp Kevin Goan said the recent armed hold-ups involving youths was “of huge concern” to police.

“We find it appalling that they are taking weapons to (commit offences),” he said.

“It is of ongoing concern they are prepared to resort to violence to commit offences, particularly at such a young age.

“The actions of one can have consequences to co-offenders as well, where an offender produces a weapon, if things escalate and that weapon is used, other participants to the offences are equally culpable to more serious offences committed.”

The property of Port Douglas dad Sam Liddell was one of several broken into by “what appears to be local youths” on Friday, July 9, on a normally quiet street.

Port Douglas Police officerin-charge Damian Meadows said Mr Liddell – who has two young girls – woke to find someone rummaging through a cupboard in a frightening ordeal for the family.

“There was a young male who was caught inside the house and he’s hoofed it and taken off, and the father has given chase,” he said. “That’s obviously concerning.”

A “small amount” of alcohol was stolen from three other homes on the same night.

“It appears these were all opportunist crimes,” Sen Sgt Meadows said. “There were some fridges on back verandas, which is the norm for Far North Queensland, and there has been some alcohol stolen.”

A police investigation is continuing, but the incidents were likely connected to a party that was being held nearby, according to Sgt Meadows.

“We live in a laid-back community but that doesn’t mean we are not susceptible to opportunistic crime,” he said.

“If you do have a fridge on the back veranda it might be worth buying a padlock and it’s another timely reminder to secure your property”.