Two boys arrested after alleged stolen ute pursuit through Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

newy.com.au – Two teenage boys have been arrested after an allegedly stolen ute was pursued through Newcastle and Lake Macquarie before the pair were found by PolAir and the Dog Unit in Kotara.

Police said officers were stopped for unrelated matters on Willow Road at Gateshead about 10.50pm on Wednesday when a ute allegedly drove directly towards them before swerving and narrowly missing them. Police will allege the ute then drove at their vehicle again at speed, again narrowly missing the police car.

Inquiries later established the ute had been reported stolen from a home at Valentine on Thursday, 12 March.

A short time later, officers saw the vehicle on Tennent Road at Gateshead and began a pursuit that continued through Gateshead, Windale, Mount Hutton and Charlestown.

Road spikes were deployed on the Newcastle Inner-City Bypass at Charlestown before the ute was found abandoned on Grinsell Street at Kotara a short time later.

With the help of PolAir and the Dog Unit, police arrested two boys, aged 13 and 16, in the backyard of a home on Grinsell Street. During a search of the nearby area, officers allegedly found knives, balaclavas and gloves.

Both boys were taken to Waratah Police Station. The 16-year-old was charged with 12 offences, including four counts of aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence, two counts of police pursuit and other alleged property, vehicle and deception offences. Police also executed an outstanding warrant for alleged property, bail, affray and resist police offences.

He was refused bail and was due to appear before a children’s court on Thursday.

The 13-year-old was charged with four offences: being carried in a conveyance taken without consent of the owner, entering enclosed land without lawful excuse, aggravated break and enter with intent in company, and shoplifting.

He was granted strict conditional bail to appear before a children’s court on Monday, 20 April.