Bohkeen Langton: Cherbourg man sentenced after attempted carjacking at Booval Fair Shopping Centre, Ipswich

A young dad asked Ipswich shoppers to use their cars so he could evade police before trying to carjack one as a woman reversed out of a carpark.

A man who sparked a police chase after carjacking a shopper’s car, leaving her sobbing on the ground in a carpark, has walked free from jail.

Cherbourg’s Bohkeen Liam Langton, 23, later used his dead brother’s identification when police came to arrest him, Ipswich District Court heard on Thursday.

Langton was sentenced for three charges including unlawful entry of a vehicle using violence and contravening a direction or requirement of police, all committed on January 10.

A Crown prosecutor said the father-of-one was fleeing from police in a car he was “acutely aware” was stolen before he and the driver arrived at Booval Fair Shopping Centre.

Bohkeen Liam Langton, 23.

Ms Kiss said Langton approached nearby homes to beg the occupants for their keys because police helicopter Polair was tracking them.

After having no luck he approached the woman’s car as she was reversing out of the shopping centre carpark.

The court heard he opened the driver’s side door, grabbed the woman’s keys and told her to hurry and get out.

Ms Kiss said the woman did not move but instead begged Langton not to take her car.

He ignored her and dragged her out, dumping her on the ground.

After attempting to drive off Langton and his co-accused jumped in a taxi and fled.

When police later found Langton he refused to reveal his name until eventually providing the name of his dead brother.

His lawyer told the court Langton was high on ice at the time, which potentially explained the “strangeness” of his behaviour.

Mr Thomas submitted a witness statement which described Langton “forcefully” dragging a woman out of her car before placing her down on the ground “in a gentle manner”.

Bohkeen Liam Langton, 23.

Mr Thomas said his client now had no recollection of what happened on the day.

Judge Horneman-Wren SC told Langton if he wanted to have any relationship with his young son he would have to “stay off the drugs” and do something about turning his life around.

“A lady went to a carpark, to go grocery shopping, and ended up getting carjacked,” Mr Horneman-Wren said.

“It would have been a terrifying event for her.”

Mr Horneman-Wren said providing a dead brother’s name to police when questioned was not only unlawful, but disrespectful.

He took into account Langton’s early pleas of guilty and the 10 months he had already served in custody, sentencing him to a total 20 months’ jail. He granted immediate parole release.