Six People Charged Following Break-In and Pursuit

Six people, including four teenagers, have been charged following an alleged break-in and vehicle pursuit near Newcastle as part of a crackdown under Operation Regional Mongoose, a police initiative focused on combatting serious property crimes, particularly those involving young offenders.

Around 12:30 am on Saturday, 2 November 2024, police were alerted to a reported theft of a Nissan X-Trail from a home in Minimbah Close, Wallsend. Officers from Newcastle City Police District quickly launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The stolen vehicle was later allegedly involved in a police pursuit on Wilkinson Avenue in Birmingham Gardens around 3 am on Sunday, 3 November 2024.

Following a series of inquiries, police moved in on a property in Jesmond at about 7 am on Monday, 4 November 2024, arresting a 17-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, a 40-year-old man, and a 39-year-old woman. Later, around 8 pm on Tuesday, 5 November 2024, two more 17-year-old boys were apprehended at a unit on Blue Gum Road, Jesmond. All six individuals were taken to Waratah Police Station, where they faced a range of charges.

The charges include aggravated break and enter, vehicle theft, and breach of bail conditions. One of the 17-year-old boys faces multiple charges, including aggravated break and enter, theft, unlicensed driving, and police pursuit offences. He was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in a Children’s Court on 16 December 2024. The 15-year-old girl, charged with being a passenger in a stolen vehicle and shoplifting, was granted conditional bail and is due in court on 11 November 2024.

The 39-year-old woman, facing charges for breach of bail conditions, was also refused bail and is set to appear in Newcastle Local Court on 14 November 2024. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old man was charged with driving the stolen vehicle without the owner’s consent and was denied bail, scheduled to face court on 8 November 2024. The other two 17-year-old boys face similar charges related to aggravated break and enter, vehicle theft, and drug possession. While one was refused bail, set to appear on 11 November 2024, the other received conditional bail with a court date of 18 November 2024.