Two 16-year-old Northern Beaches teenage boys have been charged over assaulting an Uber driver.
At about 10pm on Saturday, 10 March 2025, a 28-year-old Uber driver picked up a fare at Manly Wharf.
The two males and three female passengers were too many for the five-seater car and the driver reportedly politely asked one of them to get out. They argued and refused, so the driver cancelled the fare and ordered all of them out.
One of the 16-year-old teenage boys punched the driver from the back seat and the other got out and attacked the driver from the outside. The Uber in-car video recorded the attack and police have identified the offenders and laid charges. The three teenage girls tried to stop the offenders.
On 14 March 2025, one teen was charged with ‘Assault occasioning actual bodily harm’ and ‘Affray’, and the other was charged with ‘Assault occasioning actual bodily harm’.
They will appear at Surry Hills Children’s Court on 29 April 2025.
Elsewhere on the Northern Beaches…
Mona Vale local duped into sharing explicit images
On Thursday, 27 March 2025, a Mona Vale man in his twenties used Snapchat to meet a woman and shared intimate images of himself with her. She recorded the intimate images and threatened to release them to his friends if he did not pay a specified amount of money. He sent a small amount of money and then reported the matter to the police.
Police are investigating, however, it appears the funds were sent overseas, and that’s where the police assume the offender is located.
Police caution the public not to share intimate images online because blackmailers often use humiliation as a weapon. According to police, mainly men fall prey to this time of crime, and they quickly learn how risky it is to share intimate images online. Once shared, people lose control of their images, and police strongly advise against paying blackmailers.
This is the view shared by the eSafety Commissioner and more information about sextortion can be found at eSafety.gov.au
You can read one of our recent articles about the issue below
Sexual extortion is hitting local teens hardest: here’s how to stay safe
Traffic stop leads to cannabis detection
On Monday, 24 March 2025, Northern Beaches Highway Patrol pulled over a young man who failed to stop at a stop line.
The 19-year-old driver returned a negative result to a breath test, but a positive indication for cannabis in an oral fluid test. Police had cause to search the vehicle and located a small quantity of cannabis.
He was taken to Mona Vale police station, where he underwent a secondary oral fluid test. Police issued him a traffic infringement notice for ‘Not stop at stop line’, and they will send his oral fluid sample to a forensic laboratory for testing, which might result in a further driving offense.
The young man was eligible for a cannabis caution for the small quantity seized.
Police remind drivers that their cars have oral fluid tests to detect cannabis, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Drug driving carries a fine of $2,200 for a first offence with six months disqualification from driving and $3,300 and 12 months disqualification for a second and subsequent offence.
Good to know:
Random roadside saliva tests can detect THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) for around 12 hours after use in people who use cannabis infrequently or ‘recreationally’. For people who frequently use cannabis, THC can usually be detected for around 30 hours, according to information referenced by the Alcohol and Frug Foundation.
It’s currently illegal to drive in Australia with any amount of THC in your system (even if medically prescribed.)
Crime Watch Northern Beaches is a weekly wrap up of local crimes and incidents from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command. If you saw or can help with any of the below incidents, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or here. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. You can also contact Dee Why Police Station 9971 3399.
