Indigenous teen drowned fleeing with brother from cops

An Indigenous teen drowned as a “tragic consequence” of following his brother into a river to avoid being caught by police after driving in a stolen car, a coroner has found.

Robert George Kenneth Malayta, 18, was found dead by police divers in the Ross River near the Townsville suburb of Kirwan in north Queensland on February 25, 2022.

Malayta’s older brother Shakur McLennan was high on methylamphetamine when he pulled the 18-year-old out of bed to go for a drive in the early hours of February 24.

The teen agreed, telling his sister: “Tell mum I love her and I’ll be back soon”.

After his brother stole $100 and a packet of cigarettes, he left a note for his mother: “Mum – gone with big bro to get your money back”.

Police had earlier spotted the car and suspected it was stolen, sparking an investigation to locate it when traffic cameras spotted the vehicle speeding through an intersection.

Officers later deployed a tyre deflation device that stopped the car but the men evaded police by running towards the Ross River.

The pair slid into the water but Malayta struggled to keep up with his brother while swimming, yelling out “big bro, I can’t breathe”.

“I couldn’t see him. It was too dark and yeah when I couldn’t hear him, I was screaming out his name,” McLennan told police.