The teen fronted an out-of-sessions bail hearing in Tamworth Children’s Court and was formally refused bail by the court.

He has been ordered to remain in custody until early July.

Investigations into the incident continue.

It comes as dramatic footage of the police chase has been released.

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy has been refused bail charged with a string of offences stretching from Pilliga, through Gunnedah to Tamworth.

Police allege the learner driver had been drinking and stole a ute before he led officers on a 19-minute chase through the streets of Tamworth after two armed hold-ups.

The chase eventually ended when he tried to escape on foot in grassland off Marius St, after losing control of the ute.

Police allege the Toyota ute was first taken from a property at Pilliga shortly before 7.30pm on Wednesday night.

“The occupant drove that vehicle to Gunnedah where it will be alleged that a male, a 17-year-old male from Pilliga, demanded money whilst armed with a knife, and he obtained a quantity of money from the KFC store,” Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly said.

No one was hurt, but he allegedly stole cash and fled, before targeting the United Service Station in Tamworth on Goonoo Goonoo Rd.

Police allege the 17-year-old was armed with a tyre-leaver and demanded cash before fleeing with a sum of money – again into the stolen ute.

When officers spotted the vehicle a short time later on the New England Highway, the driver allegedly took off.

“They engaged in a pursuit with the young man in the stolen vehicle and that pursuit lasted for approximately 19 minutes across a number of suburbs in Tamworth and Taminda,” Chief Inspector O’Reilly said.

The stolen ute was damaged and had to be towed from the crash scene near Marius and Swan Streets, near Northgate.

Police said they had to continue the chase to stop the teen because he was a danger to the public.

“We will allege that at times he drove the vehicle in a dangerous manner on the wrong side of the road, towards oncoming vehicles,” Chief Inspector O’Reilly said.

“It was important that police continued to pursue this vehicle due to the nature of those offences.” 

The 17-year-old was charged with stealing the car, two counts of armed robbery, mid-range drink driving, learner driver unaccompanied and police pursuit.

He was initially refused bail by police and is due to front an out-of-sessions bail hearing in Tamworth Children’s Court on Thursday afternoon.

A quantity of cash as well as tools were seized from the stolen ute.

Detectives are also investigating reports the stolen ute was seen at the BP on Goonoo Goonoo Rd as well as any links to fuel thefts reported in Narrabri.