At just 15, she’s as “known” to police as hardened criminals twice her age. Now, her jaw-dropping disregard for the law and links to a string of both tragic and dangerous crimes can be revealed.
While youth crime laws prevent the publication of the girl’s name and photo, a special investigation has confirmed her ties to some of the worst and high-profile car thefts in the region’s recent history.
Seemingly unafraid of authorities, the girl is also understood to be a key player in a recent trend where teens in stolen cars are seen lapping Lennox St outside the Maryborough Police Station, taunting officers inside who are powerless to pursue.
It comes after this publication revealed the girl was responsible for driving to Bundaberg and delivering a 13-year-old boy to Maryborough, the same day he allegedly stole a Mercedes and caused a horror crash which claimed the lives of Reach Church members Kelsie Davies, 17, Michale Chandler, 29 and 52-year-old Hervey Bay nurse Sheree Robertson.
The morning after the crash, despite knowing her friend had been charged over the deaths of three innocent women, the girl was seen in a stolen Kia Cerato and it was also revealed she had helped steal a Mitsubishi Lancer from Woodstock St on April 29.
The Lancer was found crashed on Buckler St and the girl was later charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving of motor vehicle without a driver’s licence, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, receiving tainted property and one count of enter dwelling and commit.
Now, it can be revealed the same girl has since been charged in relation to the theft of two cars from Granville which were driven to Hervey Bay before one smashed into an Uber car at Urangan on May 23.
The wreckage of Julie Stephenson’s Uber car after she and three passengers were left shaken but unharmed following a crash with teen car thieves.
This means that despite her earlier charges and subsequent court appearance over the Maryborough car theft in early May, she was still in the community and able to reoffend just weeks later.
In an exclusive interview following the crash, Uber driver Julie Stephenson told this publication that had she not swerved, she and her three passengers would have been killed.
The girl’s role in the April 30 Bundaberg to Maryborough road trip with the 13-year-old triple fatal accused was first flagged by her own sister on a community Facebook page.
During a flurry of furious exchanges with locals who were tagging members of her family, the sister said “yeah she’s friends with (name of 13-year-old), yeah she brang (him) to Maryborough the night he got into an accident but still gives use no right to run her down about it”.
The sister also revealed the girl, who resides on the Fraser Coast and attends a local high school did “not live with her parents”.
In one reply to a comment from an incensed member of the community, the sister wrote “I’d like to see you in a situation with a troubled kid and get the blame for everything they do like you’d have no control over it whatsoever, so I don’t know why you are trying to run my family down like it’s our fault”.
Two teens in a stolen car between Bundaberg and Maryborough. The boy, who appears to be holding a large knife, is the 13-year-old charged over a crash which claimed the lives of three women.
It’s understood the girl was well-known to police before the May car thefts both for car stealing and other offences and has been arrested/charged at least a dozen times.
She is implicated in at least two incidents where stolen cars were driven past the police station.
On Labour Day, the stolen Kia, also believed to be carrying another 13-year-old boy, was seen being driven erratically through the city with multiple sources saying the three youths inside drove past the station, “taunting” officers, throwing things out the window and sticking their middle fingers up.
One of the cars stolen from Granville the morning of the Uber crash was also seen near Maryborough’s McDonald’s and outside the police station windows down and with the occupants inside yelling abuse and waving a flag.
A stolen white Kia Cerato races through the streets of Maryborough.
The Queensland Police Service was asked why police may be unable to pursue teens in stolen cars.
A QPS spokeswoman explained the service’s “risk-based pursuit policy” was revised in 2011 to incorporate recommendations made by theQueensland State Coroner following several police chase related inquests.
She said those changes were “designed to recognise the safety of officers and the community as paramount, while still allowing pursuits in permissible circumstances”.
According to the policy, a pursuit can commence if an officer reasonably believes there is the need to immediately apprehend an offender who will create an imminent threat to life (or), has or may commit an act of unlawful homicide or attempt to murder, or has issued threats to kill any person and has the apparent capacity to carry out the threat, has committed an indictable offence prior to an attempt by police to intercept a vehicle.
“Because of the risk posed to themselves and the community throughout a pursuit, officers must continually assess if a pursuit can be safely continued,” the spokeswoman said
“Police in the Maryborough Patrol Group continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders and the community, working on strategies to help prevent and disrupt crime to create a safer community.
“All pursuits are overviewed at local levels.”
Questions were also sent to the offices of the Premier and Police Minister who were asked if police were powerless to act when they witnessed youths driving stolen vehicles outside a station, how could officers fulfil their role of protecting Queenslanders?
Both were also asked if a 15-year-old recidivist offender, still before the courts on car stealing and dangerous driving offences, was allowed to be out in the community and committing further crimes of the same kind, how could Queenslanders be confident laws were in place which deterred youth offenders and that the courts were acting in line with the expectation of legislators/state leaders?
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan insisted the state had “some of the strongest” youth crime laws in the nation.
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan. Picture: Liam Kidston
He pointed to recently changed laws which mean for the first time in the state’s history, breach of bail is now an offence for youths, there’s a “presumption against bail for recidivist young offenders” and penalties for car theft have increased “substantially”.
“This demonstrates the dedicated efforts of police to ensure that bail conditions are being complied with,” Mr Ryan said
“Queensland’s strong laws are having an impact, as highlighted by recent reports that Queensland has the highest rates of imprisonment for adult and youth offenders.
“The government has funded the rollout of extreme high visibility police patrols across the state, which has resulted in people seeing more police out in the community more often and further enhanced police capability to disrupt and prevent crime.”
Mr Ryan also said the government was delivering more than 2000 more police across the state and the community could “rest assured that the Queensland Police Service will never relent in its efforts to target those who wish to do harm”.
As teen offenders are dealt with under the Youth Justice Act and not in open courts as seen with adults, whether the girl is now in detention after her most recent charges (relating to the Maryborough thefts and Uber crash) or out on the streets remains unknown.
Hervey Bay Uber driver Julie Stephenson wants laws changed to deter teen car thieves after she became the latest crash victim.
Those charges include three counts each of fraud, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle, enter premises and burglary.
A 14-year-old girl is also charged with two counts each of fraud and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
At the time of the charges being laid, a Queensland Police Spokeswoman said both girls would appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on a “later date”.