Man who allegedly stole Nick Kyrgios' Tesla at gunpoint committed for trial

Nick Kyrgios stands next to his green Tesla, which was allegedly stolen in a robbery. Photo: Instagram.

The man accused of robbing Nick Kyrgios’s mother at gunpoint and stealing the tennis star’s green Tesla has been committed for trial about seven months after he was arrested.

The 33-year-old appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (22 November) over audio-visual link from custody before his lawyer, Legal Aid’s Jan de Bruin, said his not guilty pleas were maintained and he wanted to be committed for trial.

He had been charged with aggravated robbery, failing to stop a motor vehicle for police, riding/driving a motor vehicle without consent and resisting a public territory official.

Special Magistrate Sean Richter committed the matters to the Supreme Court. They will first appear in the higher court in December to organise a trial date.

It is alleged Mr Kyrgios’ mother had partially opened the front door of a home on 1 May 2023 to find a mask-wearing man standing outside and holding a long-barrelled firearm that was pointed at her, the original court documents said.

He allegedly forced the door open with his gun, demanded the keys to Mr Kyrgios’s green Tesla parked nearby, then pointed the gun towards her and demanded she tell him how to drive it. She said she didn’t know how because it wasn’t hers.

It is reported she was escorted outside at gunpoint but ran back inside the home and screamed for help when the man got inside the car.

Mr Kyrgios used an app on his mobile phone to track his Tesla so he could tell police its location.

He also placed an 80 km/h speed limit on the car via the app, which helped police follow it.

Police found the Tesla parked on a street about 15 minutes after it was stolen, but the driver allegedly sped away when they approached.

A pursuit was started, with police chasing the car through Canberra while Mr Kyrgios gave them updates on its location.

Officers cornered the car in Ainslie at about 9 am and the defendant was allegedly pulled from the driver’s seat and arrested after a struggle, during which he was tasered.

Later that month, police claimed the shotgun used in the alleged robbery had been seized.

The defendant is not named for legal reasons.