Elderly woman punched after stolen vehicles crash

Fraser Barton | May 19, 2023

An 81-year-old woman has been assaulted inside her home in Queensland’s north after joy-riding youths crashed two stolen vehicles before attempting to flee.

Four youths were on Friday taken into police custody in Townsville after authorities attended a two-vehicle crash along Dalrymple Road in Garbutt just prior to midday.

It is alleged between five and eight kids were seen fleeing the scene following the incident. 

Police allege three of them entered the yard of a nearby property and attempted to commandeer another vehicle.

“They have climbed the back stairs of a house and have entered that house which an 81-year-old female and 85-year-old male were sitting at home on the couch,” Townsville district duty officer Scot Warrick said.

It will be alleged the three offenders have then demanded keys to a car and when told they would not be given, then rummaged through some property.

“They then left that address but one of those males has then returned, forced open the back door and has punched the 81-year-old lady in the face, causing some minor injuries,” Senior Sergeant Warrick said.

“I have no words to describe that that type of behaviour.”

Two males and two females have been taken into custody.

Both vehicles involved in the crash were stolen, police confirmed, with a third car involved in dangerous convoy-like driving around Townsville. 

“There was one incident involving the HiLux this morning, where it’s alleged that a group of pedestrians were harassed and threatened by the occupants of the HiLux. That threat involved a threat to shoot the pedestrians,” Sen Sgt Warrick said.

Police confirmed no firearms were located in the vehicles. 

Sen Sgt Warrick said it was extremely fortunate no one was injured in the crash as one vehicle T-boned the other on a busy main road. 

“Could very, very easily been a very different version of events I’m briefing you on now,” he said.