‘He’d been recently abducted’: Bizarre attempted robbery leads cops to alleged casino kidnapping plot

What might be the dumbest attempted robbery in Flinders St history, where a man tried to steal a book off a quiz master, has helped police unravel an alleged kidnapping plot.

Shane Christopher Lees was out in The Ville Casino when he won "an amount of money" and told his new friends he wanted to buy a motorcycle.

What might be one of the dumbest attempted armed robberies in Flinders Street history has unwittingly alerted police to an alleged kidnapping plot.

Shane Christopher Lees, 44, was in a “very agitated” and “sweaty” state when he walked down Flinders Street around 6pm in November and tried to steal a book off a quiz master, the court heard.

Unknown to those around him, Lees was carrying three kitchen knives and was in fear for his life, fresh from allegedly escaping zip-ties and fleeing a unit he was being held captive in.

Defence barrister Tom Hancock said the story Lees would tell police later that night was “bizarre” and would normally be “regarded with scepticism” - but given police went on to arrest several people off Lees’ information, Mr Hancock said the court had to accept his account.

This account involves an alleged extortion attempt involving ‘friends’ Lees made at The Ville Casino.

Shane Christopher Lees pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery for accosting a quiz master on their way to work and demanding the book they were carrying. When the man refused, Lees walked away.

Judge Gregory Lynham noted Lees was staying in the Rambutan Resort on Flinders Street at the time.

“You’d come to Townsville having purchased a vehicle with another man. At one point you went to the Townsville casino,” Judge Lynham said.

“You’d met up with two women. You seemed to have won an amount of money at the casino and indicated to the women you were looking to buy a motorcycle.”

The court heard arrangements were made for Lees to look at a motorcycle and he was “taken to a place”.

“You were in effect kidnapped by a number of other persons, you had a shotgun pointed to your head, you had your hands zip-tied and you were taken to a unit where you were detained for a number of days,” Judge Lynham said.

“You told (the psychologist) you recall plastic being spread around the unit and you thought they were going to kill you. Thereafter they extorted money from you at the amount of $10,000 a day over the next number of days.”

The judge accepted Lees was likely experiencing PTSD when he was arrested on Flinders Street.

Lees ended up escaping the unit after his minders fell asleep, leading him to Flinders Street, the court heard.

Judge Lynham noted a psychologist’s report which said Lees was likely experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder as he made his way down Flinders Street, caused by what he’d experienced during the casino kidnapping.

“You were in a distressed and paranoid state, giving police some explanation for your offending towards the (quiz master),” Mr Lynham said.

Lees was charged with attempted armed robbery for grabbing the arm of the quiz master and demanding his book and phone (the victim refused to hand over his items and Lees walked away), going armed so to caused fear from when a witness saw the three kitchen knives on Lees, and obstructing police which occurred when he “thrashed around with his legs” while police attempted to put him inside a vehicle.

A search also located 6.3 grams of cannabis on Lees and a bong in his Rambutan Resort room, adding possession of a dangerous drug and possession of a pipe to his charge sheet.

Lees pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to two years imprisonment on Monday, August 5.

Judge Lynham said he’d cut six months off Lees’ sentence to “take into account the rather bizarre background” of the situation.

Lees has been held in pre-sentenced custody for 250 days since his arrest in November, which means he has automatically already served his mandatory one-third and was released on parole immediately.

The man wiped his eyes and held back tears after being informed he was to be released that day.

Those charged with kidnapping Lees are still before the court.

Originally published as ‘He’d been recently abducted’: Bizarre attempted robbery leads cops to alleged casino kidnapping plot