Thread: 4 car thieves died

Originally Posted by twitchy

While it's sad to loose young people they know right from wrong. Just a bit more chlorine for the gene pool I guess.

Wow! For a Rudd man, I'm surprised

Got to admit, Ive no sympathy for them. If they are young enough to nick the cars they are young enough to accept the outcome of there foolish behavior.

If Id nicked a car when I was young...and survived... The fait awaiting me when I got home would have been worse than PC plod slapping my wrist...

However, despite having idiots for children, I do feel heavily for the parents - they obviously loved there "sweet" children & there life will never be the same again. I also feel for the poor chap that had is car nicked, though I guess thats partly what insurance is for.

No doubt ones tragic loss will go to promote the dangers of stealing...

well I will say this, the youngest of these kids (the 10 year old) may or may not have been a pure follower of his big cousins, I know at that age I idolised my older cousins... but that doesn't alter the culpability of the older teens involved in any way, if fact quite the opposite, if they had any respect for anyone or anything, they would know that they are responsible for looking after the younger ones.


on another tack, there is an article in today's Age about some "good boy" who couldn't do a thing wrong by his mum and sister... only one problem with that - he was a known ice dealer according to Police and ended up stabbed to death and burnt beyond recognition while tied to a matress in a park. Me thinks this "good boy" did something wrong to someone somehow, but yet his mum still claims he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone... er mum, he is dealing drugs - wake up!!! *shakes head*

Much as it's nice to say, they were bred to crime... it's not always/necessarily the case. Funny, that realistically two years ago, I stood on the unsympathetic side of the fence much as the rest of you.

Now I have to stand with my parents, by my parents, and say that there is nothing they could have done, to change the outcome of what is occurring in my family right now. Similarly, it's not your place to even speculate that it might be the case in this scenario. If you knew the family, fine... but spinning possibilities to your own fantasies only serves to make you feel better.

Perhaps the only appropriate way to take news like this, is to learn from the mistake...tell your kids, tell your friends that have kids: This is what you do, and these are the consequences.

Originally Posted by Relay

Perhaps the only appropriate way to take news like this, is to learn from the mistake...tell your kids, tell your friends that have kids: This is what you do, and these are the consequences.

June 28, 2008 12:30pm
PERTHNOW EXCLUSIVE: FOUR boys killed in a stolen-car crash on the weekend stole, bogged and torched another car earlier the same night, police say.

Pinjarra police today confirmed that a stolen car was bogged and torched on Morrell Rd in Pinjarra a short distance from where the boys stole a Holden Commodore involved in the death crash.

Sergeant Darrell Phillips-Jones said there was ``probably 100 per cent chance'' the boys were responsible for both thefts.

"They (the boys) would be people of interest to us,'' he said.

"There was a vehicle there that was burnt out that was reported stolen.

''It (the Pinjarra address where the crash car was stolen from) is not far as the crow flies.''

PerthNow was first alerted to the Morrell Rd stolen car by a reader who posted one of hundreds of comments about the case currently running on our site.

Debate: see more Reader's Comments now

"Well, well, well... Who knows the full story here of the group's activities on the fateful night?,'' wrote a local reader calling himself Watcher.

"Their first stolen car of the night was thrashed, bogged and subsequently set alight on Morrell Road, north of Pinjarra at about 9.40 pm. The group then walked about 800 metres to where they then stole their second car of the night, at about 10.00 pm from a farmhouse near the turnoff to Fairbridge.

"Yes, there will be those who claim it was just a coincidence and the boys walked 25 kms from Mandurah to the farmhouse to steal that particular car . . . Then they drove, very rapidly, to their deaths. This is not an exercise in blame or racisim. It is an attempt to get to the truth.''

In pictures: the boys, the crash scene

Brothers Matthew Indich, 15, Benjamin Nannup also known as BJ, 11, and Jeremy Nannup, 10, and their 17-year-old cousin, Quentin Humes, died when driver Quentin lost control and hit a tree in bad weather about 10pm on Friday.

Natalie Clarke, the mother of three young boys who died in a stolen car on the weekend, says she was a good parent whose children were led astray by their cousin.

The boy's deaths have polarised opinion in WA, with many people believing such a loss could have been avoided with better parental care. PerthNow has received hundreds of comments (below) from readers voicing disbelief at how young boys could be so poorly unsupervised that were out at night in a stolen car.

However, others sympathised that it was not possible to control children all the time.

Ms Clarke told reporters yesterday that she would never have knowlingly let her sons put their lives at risk and had not known they were out "joyriding'' with their older cousin Quentin.

She said that despite being strict with the boys, they would sneak out of the house sometimes and play with older kids "which is what young kids do sometimes''.

Supporters of the family rallied yesterday to support of the grief-stricken mother while police spoke of the ongoing problem of young Aboriginal children in the area being attracted to crime.

Peel Supt Dave Parkinson said that generally the problem was due to lack of proper parental supervision.

Poll: who's to blame for out of control kids

THE three brothers and cousin were remembered for their radiant personalities and unfulfilled promise.

Another of their cousins, 17-year-old Beau Pickett, who was the front-seat passenger in the crash, was seriously injured.

``This is more than a tragedy, it's a spur for me and for other people who work with Aboriginal people in this area to do something because we know that it's just three talented boys gone,'' said Greenfields Primary School teacher Michael Bruijn, who taught the three brothers.

``The thing that gets me is their beauty. They were such beautiful boys. They had great smiles, they had great personalities - they are things that I'm going to sorely miss.

``I never thought this could happen to kids like that.

``They were so nice, so polite, so respectful. They were really well behaved when they were monitored. When they're with people who don't try to coerce them into things they shouldn't do, they were just role models for other people.

``I guess the hardest part is to get through this part of it. I know the family is absolutely devastated.

``But from there we need to look to the future and say, `What can we do for these children and children like them?'

``They are stuck in a zone that doesn't seem to hold much for them. They need to be given an opportunity to develop as adults and become role models for the next generation.''

Mr Bruijn described the trio as promising footballers with great on-field prowess, playing with the Mandurah Centrals and Pinjarra Tigers football clubs.

``Everybody I speak to tells me their on-field skills were pretty phenomenal ... they were very talented, very quick,'' he said.

``They had the brightest smiles, they had the brightest futures.''

Natalie Clarke, mother of Jeremy, Benjamin and Matthew, choked back tears as she told The Sunday Times how much she would miss her ``little boys''.

``They were good little footy players and had a lot of talent, but they just got mixed up in the crowd. They will never be replaced.''

Their grandmother Jane Nannup said: ``They were very bright, happy boys and this is a very, very sad loss - I feel terrible about it.''

Peter Humes, Quentin's father, said: ``Quentin just turned 17 last week on the 14th of June. He was a happy go lucky boy who enjoyed helping his twin sisters with their little babies.

``The family are comforting each other and trying to get through this as best we can.''

Premier Alan Carpenter last night offered sympathy and expressed his own frustration.

``What a tragic waste of young life,'' the Premier said.

``All that potential gone in one fell swoop. Absolutely shocking.

``I am a parent. I know it's easier said than done to have 24-hour knowledge and observation of what your children are doing and when they are doing it. The parents of these kids must be absolutely devastated ... I don't want to rush to conclusions.

``But as one parent to others, whatever you can do to monitor your children - especially so young - to prevent them from getting into these situations and this tragic outcome, we all need to do that.''

Police said an unlocked 1989 model Holden Commodore had been stolen from a farming property on South Western Highway, Pinjarra, about 10pm on Friday.

It is understood Jeremy and Benjamin Nannup were killed instantly and their brother Matthew Indich died while being airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital.

The car, which was believed to have been travelling at up to 130km/h, swiped a metal power pole and flipped before the pole cut the vehicle in half.

Yesterday, distressed family and friends made the heartbreaking journey - some from as far as Geraldton - to the crash site.

Two young men, who said they were brothers of one of the victims, told The Sunday Times their families were struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

``That was my brother,'' he said, pointing at a contorted metal lamp post.

Police said Mr Pickett, who sustained a cut hand and a gash to the head, walked 500m to raise the alarm. He was taken to Rockingham Hospital for treatment.