‘He barely reached the window’: Astonishing new details on how four young kids ‘took a 1,000km joyride through two states in a stolen car – even stopping twice to fill up petrol’
- Four children aged 10 to 14 stole one of their fathers’ cars in Gracemere, QLD
- They drove it 1,000km to Jackadgery, New South Wales through the night
- The car was seen entering Glen Innes in New South Wales on Sunday evening
- At about 1am on Monday, police announced the children had been found
Four children aged 10 to 14 allegedly stole one of their fathers’ cars and drove it 1,000km interstate before they were finally caught by police.
Three boys, one 14 and two 13, and a ten-year-old girl allegedly stole the 2004 Nissan Patrol in Gracemere, Queensland on Saturday night.
They took money and fishing rods to catch food and even left a note to say they had gone.
The children drove in the dark down through the state on the A5 and were caught in Jackadgery, New South Wales on Sunday evening.
Four children aged 10 to 14 stole one of their fathers’ cars and drove it 1,000km interstate before they were finally caught by police. Pictured: One of the boys filling up at a petrol station
Three boys, one 14 and two 13, and a ten-year-old girl stole the 2004 Nissan Patrol in Gracemere, Queensland on Saturday night. Pictured: Two of the boys
The group likely swapped drivers along the way and stole petrol twice, once at Banana in Queensland and again at Warialda in New South Wales.
A employee at the first petrol station told the Daily Telegraph he saw the car drive in ‘like normal’ before one of the boys started filling up.
‘He is really short. Look he barely even reaches the window,’ the attendant said.
Police tracked the childrens’ mobile phones and were at one stage chasing the car – but called off the pursuit due to the age of the driver.
When officers finally found the youngsters parked off the Gwydir Highway they had to smash a window with a baton because the children locked themselves in.
They were arrested and taken to Grafton police station and were likely be charged with traffic offences in the coming days.
The children drove in the dark down through the state on the A5 and were caught in Jackadgery, New South Wales on Sunday evening
Police believed they were heading to Grafton where one boy’s mother lives.
Coffs/Clarence Acting Inspector Darren Williams said: ‘It’s a pretty big journey, and a long way for a young person.
‘A couple of Red Bulls and you’ll likely do anything’.
The father of the 14-year-old boy is on the way to Grafton from Rockhampton.
Charges are expected to be laid once police had the chance to interview the children which can’t be done until their parents were present.
The children drove 1,000km from Gracemere to Jackadgery. Pictured: A map of the journey