A man and two boys are due in court today charged after the police pursuit of a stolen SUV from Moree.
Officers attached to New England Police District were called to a home on Bingara Street shortly before 3am yesterday (Saturday 25 May 2024), after an SUV was reported stolen.
Police have been told a 64-year-old woman was staying with her 89-year-old mother, when she woke to find a person inside her room.
She followed the person outside to find three people were inside her car, when she challenged the front-seat passenger, she was allegedly threatened by a youth who was armed with a knife. The woman retreated to the house and called police and her SUV was driven away.
Local police and Traffic and Highway Patrol began patrolling the area, sighting the vehicle being driven at high speed on the Newell Highway about 7.40am north of Moree a pursuit was initiated but terminated due to the manner of driving. Police will allege the vehicle was also used in a fail-to-pay incident at Moree.
The vehicle was successfully road-spiked twice on the Carnarvon Highway about two hours later; however, it continued to be driven until it stopped in bushland and three people ran from the vehicle.
An 18-year-old man and two boys, aged 15, were arrested a short time later and were taken to Moree Police Station. They have now been charged with a total of 12 offences.
• A 15-year-old boy has been charged with charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, take and drive conveyance without consent, malicious damage by fire, hinder discovery of evidence re-serious indictable offence, as well as breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear in Tamworth Children's Court today (Sunday 26 May 2024).
• An 18-year-old man has been charged with take and drive conveyance without consent, be carried in conveyance, malicious damage by fire, possess means to disguising face with intent to commit indictable offence, and breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear in Tamworth Local Court today, and
• A 15-year-old boy has been charged with be carried in conveyance, assault police, and malicious damage by fire. He has been refused bail to appear in Moree Children's Court later today.
The SUV was destroyed by fire.
