Rick Murray Clough, father of allegedly abused boy Jimmy, walks free over service station robbery
The father was in custody for robbing service stations when his brother committed the ultimate betrayal before allegedly harming his young son, a court heard.
Police & Courts
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The father of allegedly assaulted Jimmy has walked free after he helped two youths rob three service stations in under 20 minutes.
Rick Murray Clough, 35, was in custody for the robberies when his brother, Rodney Clough allegedly abused his young son.
During sentencing on Wednesday, the District Court heard Clough was the getaway driver and lookout during three petrol station robberies in April 2022.
The court heard two youths went into the On the Run (OTR) petrol station in Mitchell Park at 1.28am and threatened the worker who gave them pouches of tobacco.
The youths then assaulted the worker and stole more tobacco from the OTR in St Mary’s at 1.35am.
The court heard Clough stood in the way of the sliding doors of the OTR in Pasadena as the youths “violently assaulted” the service station worker, before stealing cash and cigarettes at 1.44am.
Clough pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one count robbery.
The court heard Rick Clough’s relationship with his wife, Emma Jade Short broke down shortly before the offending and he turned to alcohol to relieve his distress.
“A week or so before you committed these offences you discovered that your wife (Ms Short) had started a relationship with your brother (Rodney),” Judge Joana Fuller said.
“This was a massive shock to you, particularly given you had supported your brother through his own divorce, compounding the betrayal.”
The court heard during Rick Clough’s time in custody, Ms Short regained custody of their two youngest children.
“Tragically your two children aged five and seven have suffered physical harm and neglect,” Ms Fuller said.
Prosecutors have alleged burns on Jimmy’s face and body are consistent with the toddler having been submerged in boiling water.
Ms Short had her criminal neglect charge dropped in December 2022 as prosecutors tendered no evidence against her.
Rodney Clough, who has pleaded not guilty to causing harm with intent over the alleged incident, is due to face an upcoming judge-alone trial.
Judge Fuller said while it was accepted Clough was only the getaway driver and lookout for the last robbery, as an adult he should have tried to dissuade the youths from the crimes.
She sentenced him to one year and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of 11 months.
Due to the spending over two years in custody for the offending, the sentence was suspended on a $50, three year good behaviour bond.
over two years in custody
* The Advertiser has chosen to refer to the alleged victim with a pseudonym.
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