Men Charged After Break In Joy Ride Wadeye

Police

NT Police have charged three men after they allegedly broke into a compound, hot wired two vehicles and took them on a joy ride before getting them bogged.

Wadeye Police Sergeant George Watkinson said the men, 21, 18 and 22, went to great efforts to get the vehicles out.

“Police allege the men squeezed through a small gap under the six-foot high perimeter fence of a compound and cut a large hole in metal wall sheeting before they climbed into a building,” Sergeant Watkinson said.

“Police then allege that two Toyota troop carriers were hotwired using tools from inside the building.

“It is then alleged that the men jimmied a large sliding door on the building open and used bolt cutters to remove a lock on the front gate before driving the vehicles out.”

Members of the public contacted Police at around 4am yesterday to alert them that troop carriers were being driven erratically around the town, Sergeant Watkinson said.

“One of the vehicles had a flat tyre, which had been changed, but both vehicles were found bogged in different locations,” he said.

The vehicles received minimal damage, Sergeant Watkinson said.

“These men were scaring the community, stealing cars and driving in an erratic manner around the town,” he said.

“We’ve had quite a bit of rain, the roads are more difficult to manage and quite frankly we can do without this sort of behaviour.

“While the men might have thought it was a bit of fun, skylarking around in the mud is dangerous. It’s very lucky no one was injured.”

The men were each charged with:

Aggravated enter building with intent;

Aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle;

Interfere with a motor vehicle;

Damage to property;

Trespass;

Drive unlicensed;