A 17-year-old ice user who has not been to school for five years cried uncontrollably in the dock of a children's court on Wednesday as he was denied bail over serious driving offences in Creswick and Ballarat.
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Police informant Senior Constable Paul Fiddaman said the teenage boy was driving an unregistered vehicle, while unlicensed, on March 17 in Ballarat North.
He said the accused was travelling 90km/h in a 50km/h zone along Ligar Street when he failed to give way at Landsborough Street and lost control.
The teenager, who had a front passenger with him, allegedly slammed into two parked cars.
A young family with two children were standing behind one of the cars and the impact knocked one of them, a female, to the ground.
Police allege in March, May and June, the teenager stole six vehicles across Ballarat and Creswick and was involved in a number of fuel drive-offs.
He is alleged to have stolen cars from Bald Hills Creek Road in Creswick, Raglan Street and Mair Street in Ballarat, Castle Court in Ballarat East, Edwardes Street in Black Hill and Margaret Street in Wendouree.
Senior Constable Fiddaman said police attended a Delacombe house where the teenager had been staying and located seven grams of cannabis, 3.26 grams of methamphetamine and $2800 cash.
Police allege he had been selling the drug ice and they did not want him placed on bail.
"Police believe the accused is an unacceptable risk of reoffending because he hasn't shown any remorse and continues to put people at risk," Senior Constable Fiddaman said.
"Police believe the accused will continue to keep committing these offences because he has no place of abode."
The boy's mother gave sworn evidence she wanted her son to live with her, despite his criminal history.
"His offending has only been so serious because of the drugs," she said.
The court was told the teenager had not been to school since he was in year seven, which was five years ago, and he had been using drugs heavily since the death of his friend.
He was on a youth attendance order at the time of the alleged offending for dishonesty offences.
The teenager's barrister said his client was young, vulnerable in custody, had been drug-free for two weeks, had his mother's support and could access drug treatment services.
He said the police case was weak in supporting the trafficking methamphetamine charge and this would not carry a jail sentence.
The magistrate said the teenager was too much of a risk to the public's safety to be bailed into the community.
He said the boy's alleged offending had escalated in seriousness and quantity. He refused the bail application and remanded the teenager in custody until July 8.
The teenager was arrested earlier in June as part of a police investigation into car break-ins at Ballarat train stations.
He faces a string of charges, including car theft, trafficking methamphetamine and four counts of recklessly engaging in dangerous conduct.
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