Crime spree charges laid

Police arrest man, woman over alleged attacks

A MAN and a woman have been taken into custody and hit with 28 charges between them relating to a wild week of property crime and police attacks.

Police will allege the charges relate to incidents in Vincent, Gulliver, Pimlico and Kirwan and include property crime, unlawful use of motor vehicles and stolen cars ramming police cars between September 5 and 8.

A 23-year-old Townsville man has been charged with six counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, burglary, 10 counts of fraud and three counts of disqualified driving.

A 19-year-old Townsville woman has been charged with five counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, arson, stealing and disqualified driving.

Both appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Saturday and are expected to be back in court in coming days.

It is alleged earlier this week the driver of a stolen dark grey

Hyundai i30 deliberately drove on to the incorrect side of the road at a police vehicle, before occupants of the vehicle later threw bricks at multiple police cars, causing damage.

A stolen white Toyota Prado was rammed into the rear of a police car driving on Mill Drive, Kirwan and there was an attempt to ram two other police cars in the vicinity.

A fourth police car approaching the scene was also targeted and rammed from the side. In total there were four cars causing chaos on the streets that evening.

Later in the week a marked police car was patrolling in Palmerston St, Vincent, when an occupant of a dark blue Nissan Navara utility allegedly threw a rock, which shattered the windscreen of the police vehicle and sprayed the officer with shards of glass.

The officer was taken to

Townsville University Hospital for treatment.

The Navara was allegedly later driven into the driver’s side of a stationary marked police vehicle. The officer in the vehicle sustained a minor injury but was not taken to hospital. Another adult and five juveniles were charged earlier this week in relation to the incidents including a 15year-old boy from Wulguru, a 16-year-old boy from Rasmussen and a 16-year-old boy from Cranbrook.

Media were denied access to Townsville Children’s Court on Thursday after the Bulletin applied to be present for a juvenile allegedly involved in the horrifying acts.

Magistrate Scott Luxton denied the application on the basis the community where the child lived would be able to identify them and it would be prejudicial to their safety.

It was the third time the Bulletin had been denied access to a Childrens Court matter in two months.