13yo boy pleads guilty, bailed after driving stolen Nissan Patrol at 120km/h around Geraldton

A 13-year-old boy who pleaded guilty to driving a stolen car for more than an hour through Geraldton up to 120km/h, was granted bail after a court was told “two bigger boys want to fight him” inside Banksia Hill Detention Centre. On Saturday, January 6 at 12.50am, police say two boys, aged 11 and 13, broke into a home in Geraldton through a pet entry door while a man, woman and child were sleeping. Police say the boys stole a 2023 Nissan Patrol and drove it around for about an hour at speeds up to 120km/h. Police say they picked up a third boy who took over the driving, travelling at 180km/h along Abraham Street, Spalding, when he lost control at a roundabout and the car rolled on to its roof. The occupants fled the scene and no one was seriously injured. A 13-year-old appeared in the Geraldton Children’s Court from Banksia Hill Detention Centre on Tuesday charged with stealing, aggravated burglary and commit, stealing a motor vehicle, driving recklessly, and no authority to drive. The case was stood down until Thursday, when the boy pleaded guilty to stealing a motor vehicle and driving recklessly. He also accepted responsibility for four counts of stealing, burglary, four counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of stealing a motor vehicle, never holding a licence, and no authority to drive. In court, police prosecutor Sgt Paul White said the car was travelling on the wrong side of the road and other road users had to brake to avoid crashing. He said the whole incident was captured on the vehicle’s dash cam. Defence counsel George Giudice said the 13-year-old agreed he drove for about an hour at high speeds and drove through a red light, but he wasn’t driving when the car rolled. On assessing bail, Magistrate Matthew Walton said it was by “the grace of God” that the boys weren’t injured and he was seriously concerned about granting bail given it was a “public safety issue”. “What about the person travelling down that road?” he said. The 13-year-old’s mother, who was in the back of court, stood up and said: “(He) knows what he did that day . . . It wasn’t him that flipped it.” Mr Giudice said the boy was distressed at the detention centre because “two bigger boys want to fight him”. The court heard the boy was “locked up all day” and only got out for a short time for a walk outside. Mr Walton granted bail given his time in custody, his young age and the “conditions at Banksia Hill”. The 14-year-old cannot leave the house unless with his mother or youth justice services. The case was adjourned until February 20, when an all-options report will be assessed. The 11-year-old was due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on January 11. Police have yet to identify the third person involved.