Malakai Robert Lee Conway faces Dalby District Court over violent robbery that left victim with severe injuries

Just a month after turning 18, a Chinchilla man attended a man’s home with a group of up to 10 people before assaulting and stealing items the man was wearing in a disturbing robbery. See how it unfolded.

A young Chinchilla man who had just turned 18 went to a man’s house not once but twice to intimidate the victim before launching a violent robbery, stealing his clothes.

Malakai Robert Lee Conway appeared in Dalby District Court on May 10 where he was sentenced for a string of violent offences committed on August 22 and September 3 in 2021.

Crown prosecutor Andreas Galloway told the court the 18-year-old had gone to the home of a man with up to 30 people, where the victim’s children and parents were also present.

“Approximately seven people walked past the address and yelled ‘I’m going to get you’,” Mr Galloway said.

“Then 20 to 30 people attended the address and were armed with sticks and rocks, and started throwing them, and a rock hit the window of the address.”

The court was told while Conway didn’t throw a rock he was present at the time.

Just a week later, Mr Galloway said Conway went to the same house with a group of 10 people where Conway grabbed the man by the throat and applied pressure.

The man’s Nike shoes and watch he was wearing were taken from him while Conway had his hands around his throat.

Malakai Robert Lee Conway was sentenced at Dalby District Court for two counts of assault, wilful damage and robbery in company with violence. Picture: Facebook

Mr Galloway told the court the victim was left with a long list of injuries including bruising and swelling to the eye, cuts to the lip, upper back and shoulder, bruising to the ribs, collar bone and knuckles and had to be transferred from Chinchilla to Toowoomba Hospital.

Defence barrister Jens Streit said Conway’s behaviour had been influenced by his upbringing as he was surrounded by drug use at an early age and developed behavioural issues from sniffing glue.

“His mum was upfront and frank about his childhood,” Mr Streit said.

“He’s become a young father. He has a pretty good reason to turn his life around. It sits about a foot off the ground, his daughter.”

Mr Streit said while other people in the group who committed the attack had been charged, a lot hadn’t.

Judge Amanda McDonell acknowledged the man’s goals to change his life around while sentencing him.

Conway pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, one count of wilful damage and one count of robbery in company using violence.

He was sentenced to a total of two and a half years’ jail, released on immediate parole.

“Take this as an opportunity to figure out what you want your life to look like,” Judge McDonnell said.