TWO 16-year-old escapees returned to the scene of the crime in spectacular fashion when they drove back into Don Dale Youth Detention Centre after breaking out less than 48 hours earlier.

Josiah Binsaris and Ethan Austral quite literally drove back into Don Dale, ploughing a stolen Toyota Yaris into roller doors at the front of the detention centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Don Dale jail ram raid Police dash cam footage shows the end of the chase that culminated in two prison escapees ramming through the front gate of Darwin's Don Dale Detention Centre.

After crashing into the roller doors the pair ignored police demands to surrender for more than half an hour, continuing to drive around the detention centre before finally being arrested.

TRG, Metropolitan Patrol Group and dog squad units raced to Don Dale and the facility was put into lockdown after the two raced into the facility.

Binsaris and Austral were part of a group of six who allegedly caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage in B-Block of Don Dale on Sunday night as youth justice officers watched on powerlessly.

The young hoods forced youth justice officers back after allegedly arming themselves with makeshift weapons, disabling doors in the sector they were trashing.

After spending more than 20 minutes ransacking two accommodation units and the centre’s education facility, five of the offenders forced their way on to the centre’s roof.

Four of them then breached Don Dale’s internal fence, with Binsaris and Austral making it over a second fence to freedom.

Two youths joining around the Don Dale centre after ramming through the front gate. @TheNTNews pic.twitter.com/FFxd7rJWoW — Elise Derwin (@elisederwin) June 2, 2015

One of the teenagers inside this police van. @abcnewsNT pic.twitter.com/j3b6Z1NmR4 — Jesse Dorsett (@jessedorsett) June 2, 2015

But for reasons no one can yet explain, the two escapees led police in a pursuit before turning into Tivendale Rd and heading back to Don Dale.

Crime Commander Mike Murphy said it was still too early to know what had motivated Binsaris and Austral to return to Don Dale.

“Obviously this event’s just unfolded, the two youths have just been arrested, that information’s not known to me at this time and it will become clearer during the court process when the information’s disclosed,” Commander Murphy said shortly after Binsaris and Austral were driven out of Don Dale in separate paddy wagons.

Police were alerted that the pair were out of hiding shortly before midday after a Toyota Yaris was reported to have driven off from a service station in Fannie Bay without paying for petrol.

The Yaris driven into Don Dale is believed to have been the third vehicle stolen by the two in their brief period of freedom.

media_camera The car which drove through the roller door of Don Dale Youth Detention Centre

After stealing a car shortly after breaking out of Don Dale just after 7.30pm on Sunday the pair visited Austral’s mother Jodine Austral at her Woodroffe home about 9pm.

The first stolen car was later found dumped in Stuart Park.

Commander Murphy described yesterday’s arrests as a good result.

“What we need to do now is get on with the police investigation. We need to collect all the necessary evidence,” he said.

“And we need to put them before the courts to answer a number of charges including traffic offences, escaping lawful custody, criminal damage and find if they’ve been associated with anyone that’s actually been supporting their efforts during the time when they escaped.”