Billy Sibbick lends car used in gunpoint robbery at Ipswich Mihi Tavern

A young Ipswich dad has spent close to a year on remand following a terrifying robbery which left a woman scarred for life. Here is how he was connected to the crime.

An Ipswich man with a “terrible” nine-page criminal history has appeared before two courts in one week after receiving stolen number plates and lending a car to a person who used it in a gunpoint robbery.

Billyjack-Kerrie Sibbick, 27, from Basin Pocket appeared in Ipswich District Court on Tuesday April 19 charged with one count of unlawful use of a car used to commit an offence and Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday April 20 charged with receiving tainted property.

Ipswich District Court heard on Tuesday that Sibbick “loaned” a car without its owner’s permission to an “associate” of his who used it to rob Mihi Tavern at Brassall.

Sibbick was reportedly not aware of the details of the crime at the time.

A Mihi Tavern staff member wrote in a victim impact statement to the court that the traumatic experience had had a significant impact on her.

Judge Dennis Lynch QC said staff had been “terrorised” in the gunpoint robbery.

Crown prosecutor Andreas Galloway told the court Sibbick had an extensive criminal history and had been on parole when the offence was committed on May 10 last year.

Mr Galloway said his charges included six counts of supplying drugs, such as methylamphetamine, which he was sentenced for in 2019.

The young dad pleaded guilty to the unlawful use charge on Tuesday and was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for six months.

Mr Lynch reiterated his remarks from Sibbick’s 2019 drug sentence and urged him to steer clear of drugs upon his release.

“You are the master of your own destiny,” he told Sibbick.

The Ipswich man appeared at the courthouse again on Wednesday, this time via video link from custody, and pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving tainted property.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Nanette Green told Ipswich Magistrates Court that registration plates were stolen from a car at Bundamba the same day the Tavern robbery took place.

A member of the public reported seeing two people put number plates on a car about 11am.

“The informant took photos which depicted a male from the rear in distinctive black and white shoes,“ Snr Constable Green said.

The day after the plates were stolen, on May 11, police intercepted the car involved in the offence.

Sibbick was identified as a passenger in the car and was arrested and taken to the Ipswich Watchhouse.

A check of his electronic monitoring device confirmed he was present at the time the witness had seen the number plates being stolen.

He was arrested wearing the same shoes as depicted in the informant’s footage.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert said she had taken into account Sibbick’s “terrible” criminal history, the fact he had offended while on parole, and the 345 days he had spent in custody when deciding an appropriate penalty.

She sentenced him to one month in prison, wholly suspended for six months, to run concurrently with the sentence handed down to him on Tuesday.

A conviction was recorded.