Month: October 2025

ACT Policing is reminding Canberrans to lock their homes and secure their car keys as more than 140 cars have been stolen this year.

Since 1 January (2025) police have received 147 stolen motor vehicle reports – with the majority taken after offenders gained access to car keys via unlocked homes.

Thieves are entering homes via unlocked doors and windows or through internal doors from garages. Easy to locate items including bags, wallets, phones and car keys are then stolen. In many instances the car at the residence is also taken at this time.

Detective Inspector Elizabeth Swain said that people should lock their homes and secure their keys to make it harder for thieves to operate.

“If you have a car worth $40,000, you should consider your car keys as also being worth $40,000. Please make sure keys are stored in a secure place in your home and that all doors and windows are locked when you are not there, as well as overnight.

“Modern cars are not easy to steal without the keys – so criminals have adapted their actions to get those keys.

“We are also aware that some insurance companies are denying claims where homes are not locked, and car keys and cars are taken.

“We are doing our best to apprehend these offenders – with some people being arrested and charged multiple times this year for vehicle theft and burglary. But we need every resident to do their bit to make it as hard as possible for these thieves.”

For more information and advice on home security visit the ACT Policing website.

Anyone who has information about people stealing vehicles is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website.  Information can be provided anonymously.

A 53-year-old man will face the ACT Magistrates Court this morning after allegedly assaulting two men at a Gungahlin bus interchange last night.

About 8.00pm (Tuesday, 11 February 2025) police responded to reports of a fight occurring at the Gungahlin Marketplace bus interchange.

On arrival, police located two men with head injuries and several cuts to their face, with one of the men also observed to have cracked and missing teeth.

Police allege that the 53-year-old man engaged in a verbal altercation with the two men, before pushing one of the victims to the ground and stomping on his head.

He then allegedly punched the second victim causing him to fall to the ground, before kicking him several times in the head.

The victims were subsequently transported to hospital with head injuries.

A short time later, police located the 53-year-old – who was subject to a good behaviour order – at a nearby hotel where he was arrested.

He has been charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching a good behaviour order.

Three drivers have been issued with traffic infringement notices and will face charges after allegedly being caught drug driving and speeding in separate incidents.

About 3.30pm on Saturday 1 February, police were conducting a speed enforcement operation along Canberra Avenue in Griffith when they detected a silver Volkswagen Golf travelling at 81km/h in a 60km/h area.

Police directed the driver to pull over and checks revealed her licence was suspended in November 2024.

The 46-year-old woman was subject to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine.

In a second incident, at about 10pm on Tuesday (4 February 2025), police stopped a silver Saab 9-3 that was detected travelling at 104km/h in an 80km/h zone along Drakeford Drive in Kambah.

The learner driver was subject to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for a prescribed drug.

The 21-year-old male driver was issued traffic infringement notices for speeding, being an unaccompanied learner driver, driving on a suspended licence, and failing to display L plates.

This morning (Tuesday, 11 February 2025), police detected a third driver travelling at 53km/h in a school zone.

The driver, a 24-year-old man, was stopped and police identified his licence was suspended.

He was subject to a roadside drug test, which returned a positive result to cannabis.

The suspended driver was issued with a traffic infringement notice for speeding and failing to update his address.

The three drivers are expected to be charged with drug driving offences and will face court at a later date.

A 38-year-old man has been charged after allegedly brandishing knives outside of Westfield Woden yesterday afternoon.

About 1.10pm (Saturday, 8 February 2025), police received a report that a man was standing outside the shopping centre with knives.

Officers attended the scene and spoke to the man before he attempted to flee. He was arrested and a search revealed three knives in his bag.

The man was conveyed to the ACT Watch House where he was charged with possessing a knife without a reasonable excuse and resisting a territory public official. He is expected to face court next month.

A 26-year-old man and 26-year-old woman have been charged after police located stolen property and tools suspected of being used for theft in their belongings last night.

About 11.10pm (Saturday, 8 February 2025), police were notified by the owner of a tracking device attached to stolen property that it had been tracked to the vicinity of Flemington Road, Franklin.

The same person also reported two people attempting to enter the fire escape doors of apartment buildings in the same area.

Police attended and located a man and woman a short time later. A search of their belongings revealed tools believed to be used for theft, two knives, suspected stolen property, a wallet containing foreign currency, and the tracking device.

The man and woman, who are both subject to good behaviour orders, are due to face the ACT Magistrates Court tomorrow, charged with offences including going equipped for theft and unlawful possession of stolen property.

Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in Franklin or Harrison last night is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Please quote reference number 7972802. Information can be provided anonymously.

A 96-year-old Queensland man has been extradited to the ACT to face six historic sexual offence charges.

In 2022, a woman provided a report to police regarding multiple allegations of sexual assaults that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

Following an investigation by ACT Policing’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team, a summons was issued for a 96-year-old Queensland man to attend court in the ACT to face charges. The man repeatedly refused to attend and an arrest warrant was issued.

Yesterday (Friday, 7 February 2025) the man was extradited to the ACT to face charges including carnally knowing a girl between 10 and 16, carnal knowledge of a girl under 10, indecent assault on a female and persistent sexual abuse of a child. Please note that the charges laid were in place at the time of the alleged offending.

The man is expected to face the ACT Magistrates Court today (Saturday, 8 February 2025).

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, you can report to police by attending a police station or calling 131444.

You can also submit an online report for historical sexual assault for incidents that occurred more than six months ago.

A 22-year-old man has been charged after allegedly driving at bystanders who attempted to stop him from drink driving last night.

About 11pm (Wednesday, 19 February 2025), police allege the man left a licensed premise in Kambah after consuming several alcoholic drinks.

Other patrons and staff attempted to stop the man from getting into his vehicle, but he managed to drive away with another man still holding onto the vehicle.

The other man fell off and the driver allegedly turned to drive up and down the street repeatedly, causing him and others to take evasive action.

Police arrived a short time later, but the driver had already left the scene. One person was transported to hospital by ACT Ambulance Service for non-life threatening injuries.

About 12am, officers attended the man’s home and placed him under arrest. He was conveyed to City Police Station where he underwent a blood alcohol screening test, returning a reading of 0.142.

He is due to face the ACT Magistrates Court today (Thursday, 20 February 2025), charged with using an offensive weapon, driving a motor vehicle with alcohol in breath, dangerous driving, and failing to stop and provide assistance.