TWO teenagers and three adults alleged to have terrorized Tamworth with a spate of aggravated break-and-enters have been arrested, charged and some locked up until at least after Christmas.
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After a slew of break and enters on Thursday night, two teenagers and 18-year-old Cameron Jerrard were denied bail in Tamworth Local Court on Friday after police prosecutor Rob Baillie made a strong case that the alleged offenders would fall back into bad behaviour on the streets.
Defence solicitor Gemma Ridley argued against the Leader's application to sit in during the 15 and 16-year-old accused's children's court matters, but Magistrate Julie Soars ruled to allow media.
The young alleged offenders cannot be named for legal reasons
A set of white gloves was part of Sergeant Baillie's argument to keep the 16-year-old boy and co-accused Jerrard in custody.
"What I would say is there's a strong circumstantial prosecution case for both matters; a flashlight was seen by the complainant and he [the 15-year-old] was found in possession of one of those," he said.
"He was also in possession of a matching white glove ... and there were text messages telling him to stay low while police were looking for him."
Both of the teenage boys pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and were denied bail to return to Tamworth Children's Court in January next year.
The alleged incidents provoked the outrage of police after an 83-year-old woman was threatened with a knife in her own home and police have charged a 20-year-old female with spitting on an officer in the midst of an arrest.
The elderly woman has been left fearing retaliation after police claim the alleged offenders threatened to come back, the court heard.
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The arrests are the result of tenacious efforts by local police, Oxley Police District Commander Superintendent Kylie Endemi said.
"During the arrest of that 15-year-old male person last night, police arrested a 20-year-old female after she elected to spit on police who were trying to affect the arrest of the 15-year-old male," she said.
"There is never any occasion that it is appropriate for people to intervene and hinder police in the arrest of another person.
"I would like to thank the community who has worked extremely hard with us as opposed to against us and provided us with information that has greatly assisted us in achieving these results."
Co-accused Donna Quinlan, 32, was granted police bail, charged with being an accessory after the fact to the alleged break and enter at the elderly woman's house in Oxley Vale.
The 20-year-old accused of spitting on police, Taylor Nean, was granted bail to appear again in December.
Ms Soars said the alleged offences were very serious and included a vulnerable elderly victim.
The court heard forensic evidence had been taken in Oxley Vale and that police prosecution was waiting on the results of tests.