Court sentences Ekwueme Enyi for Westfield Woden burglary attempt

Ekwueme Enyi and co-offender Dau Deng used an angle grinder in their first attempt, the ACT Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.

Enyi, 19, previously pleaded guilty to attempting an aggravated burglary, unlawful possession of stolen property and property damage.

The charges relate to an attempt to break into a store in Westfield Woden with an angle grinder and an ensuing police chase.

On Thursday, magistrate Glenn Theakston sentenced Enyi to a 12-month good behaviour order with 80 hours of community service.

Enyi's lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, argued that while the attempted burglary was "quite brazen" it was "a fairly unsophisticated plan".

Mr Kukulies-Smith said the attempt was ultimately "defeated by a locked door".

"Whilst there is some premeditation ... it isn't this thought out plan with a commitment to achieve a theft no matter what," he told the court.

"Had they been committed to the cause one could readily imagine attempts to smash [the locked glass door]."

The lawyer argued Enyi was "a young man who has been working through a number of emotional issues".

"Beyond a choice to get in that vehicle there is no suggestion in the facts that he is directing the manner of the driving," Mr Kukulies-Smith said.

Prosecutor Hannah Mitchell argued the attempted burglary was "clearly premeditated".

"There was a face covering, possession and use of an angle grinder [and a] second approach to the entrance," she said.

Mr Theakston found that the attempt was "clearly premeditated" and the power tool had been "brought in with a clear and deliberate purpose to gain entry".

He said Enyi had "not been on a long path of antisocial inappropriate behavior".

"Over a period of a week or so he has made two poor decisions," Mr Theakston stated.

Speaking directly to Enyi, the magistrate said: "I'm hoping that this is the last time you are before the court."

Agreed facts state about 9.20pm on November 11, 2022, Enyi and Deng arrived at Westfield Woden.

Both men, aged 18 at the time, had their faces covered.

Enyi used an orange handled angle grinder on the main door of a Telstra store, grinding away at a bolting mechanism.

Security guards quickly contacted police but the intruders left before officers arrived.

Deng and Enyi allegedly returned about two hours after this, when they were "immediately recognised" by Westfield security guards who again contacted police.

The front doors to the mall were locked to prevent the 18-year-olds from re-entering.

Enyi then left in a Holden Commodore with Deng driving the vehicle.

Responding to the incident, police saw the vehicle travelling in the wrong direction in the Westfield carpark and activated their emergency lights and sirens.

The vehicle was bearing stolen number plates, and disobeying directions to stop.

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Deng was behind the wheel as the Commodore was driven in a manner that posed "extreme danger" to the public, narrowly missing a police car at one stage.

The ensuing pursuit took officers from Woden to Bindubi Street in Macquarie.

There, the driver of the Commodore lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a light pole after swerving in an attempt to avoid a tyre deflation device deployed by police.

After the crash, the two men left the vehicle and ran, jumping a fence into the backyard of a townhouse before they were arrested.

Deng is set to be sentenced at a later date.

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