Poker Machine Theft Leads to Dramatic Police Chase
A 22-year-old man from Queanbeyan has been sentenced after stealing car keys left beside a poker machine and leading police on a dangerous pursuit through the regional town near Canberra.
Bronson Mark James Cross appeared before Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday, November 24, where the court heard details of the March 2024 incident that began at Queanbeyan Leagues Club.
The Early Morning Theft
According to police documents presented to the court, the sequence of events began around 12.40am on March 18, 2024, when Cross and another man entered the popular local club.
The vehicle's owner, whose car was registered in the ACT, had been playing a poker machine in the smoking section when she accidentally left her keys on the seat while moving to another machine.
CCTV footage showed the keys remained on the seat for approximately 17 minutes as Cross walked through the gaming area, repeatedly looking at the unattended keys.
At 1.25am, Cross deliberately sat on the keys before pocketing them and leaving the establishment with his companion. Police documents state the pair then used the keys to locate the vehicle and drove away.
Dangerous Police Pursuit Through Googong
The stolen car was spotted by patrolling officers in Googong around 3am the same morning. When police activated their sirens and lights to pull over the vehicle, Cross refused to stop.
What followed was a police pursuit along Aprasia Avenue onto Googong Road, with the stolen vehicle travelling well above the speed limit according to court evidence.
The chase reached a dangerous climax when Cross drove through a red light at the intersection with Old Cooma Road, prompting officers to terminate the pursuit for safety reasons.
The stolen vehicle was later recovered on March 20 in Mawson, ACT, two days after the initial incident.
Attempted Escape and Court Sentencing
When police visited Cross' Queanbeyan home two days after the chase, the court heard he attempted to jump his back fence to avoid capture.
His escape plan failed when he discovered officers waiting on the other side of the fence. Cross was subsequently arrested and taken to Queanbeyan Police Station.
Magistrate Roger Clisdell sentenced Cross to a 12-month intensive corrections order to be served in the community, along with a 12-month driver's licence suspension.
The 22-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges including stealing a vehicle, driving while disqualified, and failing to stop for police.
Court documents revealed Cross had been driving without a licence throughout the entire incident, and told police he attempted to flee because he didn't want to be caught.
