Cruize Thomson in court for armed robbery, wounding, assault

A 20-year-old who went on a drunken ‘rampage’, terrorising his neighbours with a knife and bashing and cutting his mother while almost four-times the legal limit has pleaded guilty to a dozen charges.

Cruize Thomson, 20, is escorted from Gympie District Court on Thursday, May 4, 2023, after pleading guilty to a dozen charges over an October 2021 burglary at Kingaroy, and a November 2021 "rampage" at his Tin Can Bay home in which he threatened neighbours with a knife, and bashed and cut his mother.

A 20-year-old’s drunken “rampage” during which he threatened neighbours with a knife and bashed and cut his mother while she lay on her bed, has ended with a lengthy stay in jail.

Cruize Thomson pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court to a dozen charges from an attack at his Tin Can Bay home, and a separate burglary at Kingaroy weeks earlier.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark told the court the Kingaroy crime was the “unsophisticated burglary” of two 18-year-olds, a boy and a girl, on October 19, 2021.

The girl stepped into another room and called police as Thomson and his co-offenders – an 18-year-old and two juveniles who knew the victims – entered the home wearing balaclavas and armed with knives.

One of the juveniles held a knife to the boy’s throat, and demanded money and marijuana from them.

They escaped with a single bud of marijuana.

Thomson did not use his knife, the court heard, but he and the other offenders shook the victim’s hand at the end of the crime.

The “rampage” happened while he was on bail for the burglary.

Gympie District Court was told Cruize Thomson, 20, of Tin Can Bay, was almost four times the legal limit when he threatened his neighbours and attacked his mother in her bed.

The court heard the November 7, 2021 crime started after Thomson’s neighbour admonished him for locking his mother out of their home the day before.

Thomson jumped a fence between their properties to confront the man, then retreated back to his own home and armed himself with a 16cm blade.

Mr Stark said he then walked back out of the house and damaged his mother’s car, slashing a tyre, and then threatening his neighbours, saying he was “going to stab the f-----g lot of you”.

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He then approached his neighbour’s wife on her veranda, damaged the fence between the homes, and returned to his own home, once more threatening his neighbours.

The court heard Thomson then went inside to his mother, who was ill and laying on her bed, and punched her multiple times in the head and arms.

He then grabbed a 20cm knife from the kitchen, returned to her room and cut her legs five times.

Three of the lacerations needed stitches.

He then threatened to stab police officers who attended the incident.

Cruize Thomson was sentenced to three years’ jail but given an immediate parole release date owing to his having already served 569 days in pre-sentence custody, more than half the term.

His blood alcohol level after his arrest was found to be .189, almost four times the legal limit.

Barrister Amelia Loode said the 20-year-old, who had never met his father and had dropped out of high school after Year 10, had “difficulties with alcohol consumption”.

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Judge Katherine McGinness described Thomson’s actions at Tin Can Bay as a “rampage, effectively”.

He pleaded guilty to serious assault, two counts of forcible entry, threatening violence, enter dwelling with intent at night while armed in company, robbery armed in company, obstructing police, public nuisance, wounding, assault occasioning bodily harm, and two counts of wilful damage.

The latter four charges were domestic violence offences.

Thomson was sentenced to three years jail, but due to his having already served 569 days in custody, he was given an immediate parole release date.