Troy Anthony Blackman deliberately offended so he’d go back to jail

An ‘institutionalised’ 46-year-old criminal and druggie took to committing crime for the purpose of being put back in jail, where he ‘did well’.

Troy Anthony Blackman has been resentenced in Maryborough District Court.

A psychologist’s report on a prisoner who had worked as a head chef while in jail has found he committed new crimes so he could return to prison and had become “institutionalised”.

Troy Anthony Blackman, 46, appeared before Maryborough District Court via video link for resentencing this week.

The court heard Blackman had breached a suspended sentence which was imposed on him in December 2022 when he was sentenced for 20 offences.

He had also breached a three-year probation through his offending, it heard.

The court was told numerous charges had brought him back before the court.

In December 2022, Blackman pleaded guilty to 20 offences when he appeared before Ipswich District Court, including burglary by break with violence while armed, dangerous operation of a vehicle, evasion, and deprivation of liberty.

The court heard the majority of his offences occurred on November 25, 2020, while he was “clearly psychotic”, according to Judge Dennis Lynch.

Troy Anthony Blackman appeared before Maryborough District Court.

Judge Lynch said Blackman had taken up to a gram of methamphetamine and had been hearing voices on the day, which began when he drove in front of a woman at a red light and tried to get into her car.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Beckman said the woman tried to drive away, but Blackman held onto her car for about 30m before letting go.

Ten minutes later, he broke into a house and demanded car keys from the occupant.

The occupant refused and Blackman threatened, “all right the gun’s coming out” while reaching behind his back and showing a black handle.

Blackman took their car and drove to another house, where a woman was parked in the driveway.

He got into her car and told her to take him to Thompson Street, becoming increasingly abusive and threatening until she started driving out of fear.

Ms Beckman said Blackman threatened to find her if she told anyone what he had done, and was angry at her for slowing down when children were crossing the road.

After she dropped him off, Blackman stole another vehicle and was driving through Silkstone when police caught onto his tail.

They pursued him as he drove at high speeds, cutting off another car at one point, before driving onto the wrong side of the road and eventually crashing into a fence.

A psychologist’s report indicated Troy Anthony Blackman had talked about falling into a pattern where, after spending around eight months back in the community, he would usually start wanting to return to custody.

Ms Beckman said Blackman tried to flee but was arrested and found to be under the influence of methamphetamine.

A psychologist’s report indicated Blackman had talked about falling into a pattern where, after spending around eight months back in the community, he would usually start wanting to return to custody.

“To some extent, he was committing these offences with the deliberate intention to return to custody,” she said at the time.

Defence barrister Kate Fuller said Blackman had struggled with mental health difficulties including PTSD, and said he still had the support of his family and potential job prospects.

Blackman received a head sentence of four years imprisonment, to be suspended for a four year operational period from May 16, 2023.

Blackman was further sentenced to three years' probation and disqualified from obtaining or holding a driver’s licence for two years, for both the dangerous operation and the evasion offence.

There were two years remaining on the suspended sentence, the Maryborough court heard this week.

Judge Vicki Loury said Blackman had been released from custody on May 16, 2023 but had then reoffended August 30, 2023, after he was charged with one count of receiving tainted property and fraud offences.

He breached the suspended sentence again by entering a dwelling and stealing when he broke into a woman’s house and stole $10,000 in money and jewellery.

Blackman was sentenced in Maryborough Magistrates Court in March, 2024, to two years in prison with a parole release date after serving eight months, and he was committed to the district court for the breach of the suspended sentence.

Judge Loury said Blackman had been diagnosed with PTSD and had endured a prejudicial upbringing.

He had been using drugs since he was 13.

In a report he was described as being “institutionalised” and had admitted that when he got out of jail, he would commit further offences in order to return to jail.

“When you’re in jail you do well,” Judge Loury said.

Blackman had worked as head chef at a number of correctional centres and had completed study while in prison.

Judge Loury said the appropriate action was to activate the remaining two years of the suspended sentence.

She ordered they be served concurrently with his current sentence, extending the end date of the original sentence by about six weeks.

Judge Loury set the probation orders aside after finding the breaches proven and did not further punish him.

“That means there won’t be any further suspended sentence hanging over your head, Mr Blackman,” she said.

A parole release date was set for November 20, 2024 and he would remain on parole for about two years.

Judge Loury said he was clearly an intelligent man and needed to do something about his PTSD so he didn’t revert back to drugs due to the stress of being in the community.

“You have spent the best part of your life in jail,” she said.

“You are capable of contributing productively to our society.”

Judge Loury told Blackman he would find himself back in jail or worse quickly if he didn’t stay away from drugs.

“If you keep using drugs, you’ll kill yourself,” she said.

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