Three teenage boys refused bail, accused of Tamworth break-in while another boy released on bail | Operation Mongoose

THREE Tamworth teenage boys including a 13-year-old are being transferred to juvenile detention after they were denied bail in a Tamworth court. The Leader can reveal the boys, aged 13 and 16, all lodged unsuccessful bail applications in closed sessions of Tamworth Children's Court on Friday morning. They're accused of an aggravated break-and-enter at a Regal Park Drive home in Oxley Vale but were not required to enter pleas in court. None of the juveniles can be identified because of their age, but all had family support them in court. The court heard a 13-year-old boy was on house arrest to live in Muswellbrook but was arrested by police in West Tamworth early on Thursday morning. Operation Mongoose - the dedicated property crime squad - together with general duties police swooped on six boys about dawn on Thursday morning after investigations into property crime across Tamworth. READ ALSO: The court heard the 13-year-old boy was on NSW Supreme Court bail - which was granted 13 days ago - after previously being denied release in Tamworth in October. Police prosecutor Sergeant Alix Thom opposed his release and argued the alleged victims of the break-in woke to find a group of boys in their home. "One can only imagine how they're feeling," she said in her submissions. Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) defence solicitor Nicole Polyakova said the break-and-enter case against her young client was "not particularly strong". "I can't find that the bail conditions would reduce the risk ... to the community to acceptable levels," Ms Soars said, refusing bail. She said it wasn't just the fresh charges that were concerning, but that he had breached his curfew and was found more than two hours away from his bail address in Muswellbrook in the early hours in Tamworth with other young people. In another bail application, a 16-year-old boy was denied release for the first time with the court told his alleged offending spanned from New Lambton in Newcastle to Tamworth. He was on bail for a Moree property crime-related matter. Miss Polyakova submitted similar bail conditions for her client, which were rejected by the magistrate. "How many opportunities does a 16-year-old get to commit these [alleged] offences," Ms Soars said, refusing him bail. A second 16-year-old boy appeared in Armidale Children's Court on Friday from the Tamworth cells and was also denied bail by magistrate Mark Richardson. A 12-year-old boy who was not charged with fresh offences but accused of breaching his bail, and arrested in the same operation, has been released by the court. The magistrate found the breach of curfew had been established and gave him a strict warning to comply with tightened conditions. "There's other serious offending going on in the community," Ms Soars said, warning him not to step out of line again. Ms Soars reimposed bail for his eight Moree-related matters, including living under house arrest and not contacting the boys he was found with. The cases have all been adjourned to December to enter pleas. A 12-year-old boy who was arrested on Thursday morning in West Tamworth was released without charge as investigations continue, police confirmed. A 13-year-old boy will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act for two counts of riding in a stolen car. Police said investigations into the incidents on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning across Browns Lane in Moore Creek, Flagstaff Road in Forrest Hills, as well as the Calala, East, South and West Tamworth area, were continuing. Police had been alerted after reports a Mitsubishi Triton had been stolen from a home in Ironbark Road, Muswellbrook, and driven to Tamworth early on Thursday morning. A Toyota Hilux utility was reported stolen from a home in Darien Avenue in Hillvue, and a silver Peugeot sedan was taken from Browns Lane in Moore Creek. Police will allege the cars filled up with petrol at a service station in Taminda before driving off without paying. Police allegedly detected the vehicles driving dangerously through Tamworth on Thursday morning, and when they failed to stop as directed by police, a chase was initiated. It was terminated a short time later because of safety concerns. The vehicles were later found in Green Street. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: