Ipswich’s young offenders and their shocking acts in the community revealed
From frenzied servo hold-ups and flagrant public pilfering to brutal daylight assaults, see the most wild acts of Ipswich’s young offenders who have fronted court in the last year.
Police & Courts
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As concerns surrounding the state’s youth crime crisis continue to rise, The Queensland Times is taking a look back at the most shocking acts of Ipswich’s young adult offenders who have fronted court in the last year.
In Queensland, child and young adult offenders can expect to receive sentences that give weight to their opportunities for rehabilitation.
Although the community has increasingly pushed for harsher sentences for young offenders, Queensland Law Society President Chloé Kopilović told the Courier Mail last week: “Locking up children will not stop crime.”
“The longer a child spends in custody, the more likely they are to be pipelined into the adult criminal justice system.”
Child offenders are protected from being identified by the media in Queensland – but that privilege ends when they turn 18.
Some of the individuals on this list offended shortly after that crucial milestone – whereas others are nearing an age where their youth will start having less weight with judges and magistrates if they find themself back in court again.
See the wild acts of young adult offenders in the community, and their ages when they faced court:
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
TREVON ANTHONY, 22
Redbank Plains local Trevon Anthony “felt compelled” to arm himself with a knife in public after “voices in his head” warned him he would be attacked.
Later that night, a drunk parkgoer got a nasty surprise when he kicked off a “consensual” fight with Anthony – and received a knife in his back in return.
The Ipswich District Court heard the victim had told Anthony “I just wanted to punch on, I didn’t know you were going to stab me in the back”.
Anthony then apologised, while his girlfriend called an ambulance.
The court heard Anthony had been scared and tried to stab the victim “anywhere that wouldn’t end him”.
The wound was seven or eight centimetres deep, but managed to avoid anything important.
Anthony pleaded guilty at age 22 this March to one count of unlawful wounding.
Judge Michael Rackemann said Anthony “easily be in the Supreme Court on murder” in other circumstances.
However, he acknowledged Anthony’s mental health circumstances put the case in an “entirely different category”.
Anthony was sentenced to 18 months jail, wholly suspended for two years.
TARA BRANDSDEN-BAYLISS, 19
This Leichhardt teen swiped $35,000 of jewellery and $1298 of toys in a stealing spree that spanned three Southeast Queensland cities.
Tara Leisha Lee Brandsden-Bayliss fronted Ipswich Magistrates’ Court in February earlier this year, aged 19.
The court heard she and another woman had asked to see a tray of gold chains at Logan Hyperdome’s Angus & Coote last August.
They took their chance to swipe the whole tray and made off with it on foot.
The co-offender was older and received 23 months imprisonment for the theft, the court heard.
Brandsden-Bayliss had also stolen from Mr Toys Toyworld Capalaba and TK Maxx Helensvale.
Defence lawyer Dylan Hans said his client had a “troubling” upbringing, but now aspired to become a personal trainer.
Brandsden-Bayliss pleaded guilty to seven charges including two counts of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence and stealing.
She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, with immediate parole.
NEHEMIAH COULAHAN, 19
Nehemiah Coulahan fronted Ipswich District Court last September for his role in a violent armed robbery, in which he and his alleged co-offenders were greeted mid-break-in by a sword-wielding homeowner.
Coulahan had been armed with a metal pole, and two others were allegedly armed with a knife and machete when drove to an East Ipswich home in August, 2021.
The homeowner was playing video games when he heard Coulahan smash through his glass front door, so armed himself with a sword mounted on his wall.
One of the co-accused allegedly threatened “we know you’ve got money. Give me the money or we’re going to hurt you”.
The homeowner eventually gave the intruders $500-600 and tobacco, which they made off with, along with his phone.
Coulahan pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company and enter dwelling with intent by break while armed in company, damaging property.
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, with immediate parole release and 276 days of presentence custody declared time-served.
SAPHFIRE ERIHE-SCHAEFFER, 21
Redbank Plains local Saphfire Erihe-Schaffer had to be restrained and sedated in the middle of a Silkstone road after an “erratic” morning drive.
She was jailed earlier this year over the January 4 offending, which the court heard had followed a New Years drug relapse.
Erihe-Schaffer had come to an abrupt stop in the middle of an intersection when she realised her drug use was affecting her driving.
Witnesses watched her having what appeared to be a drug-related seizure in the driver’s seat.
When emergency services arrived, Erihe-Schaeffer was violently throwing her arms and legs around.
She needed to be physically restrained by three paramedics and two police officers before being sedated and taken to hospital.
The court heard she had a cocktail of drugs in her system at the time including amphetamine, methamphetamine, droperidol (a prescription drug) and GHB.
Erihe-Schaeffer pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor, driving without a licence (disqualified by court order) and possession of a knife in a public place.
She was sentenced to three months’ jail wholly suspended for nine months, taking into account (but not formally declaring) her 63 days in presentence custody.
She was further sentenced to nine months’ probation and disqualified from driving for two years and six months.
JEREMIAH FESULUAI, 20 & GEOVANNI MARIUS, 20
An Ipswich train station worker was forced to barricade himself in a carriage to escape this drunk Logan duo.
Jeremiah Fesuluai and Geovanni Marius were captured on CCTV brutally assaulting train station worker George Thomas Ward at Redbank Station in February last year.
Marius struck Mr Ward with a “brutal roundhouse kick” before Fesuluai joined in and helped Marius pommel him.
Mr Ward suffered significant injuries including a fractured nose and ocular hypertension — which the Ipswich District Court heard could have caused blindness if left untreated.
Both men pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm.
Fesuluai pleaded guilty to additional charges of attempted robbery, smoking on public passenger vehicle, and two counts of creating a disturbance or nuisance.
Marius was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, wholly suspended for an operational period of three years, with 307 days of presentence custody taken into account but not formally declared as time-served.
Fesuluai was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended immediately for three years, with 381 days presentence custody taken into account but not formally declared as time-served.
HOPE KENNEDY-TILSE, 21
Redbank Plains mum Hope Kennedy-Tilse narrowly avoided jail just week’s ahead of her baby’s due date earlier this year for her role in a brutal pool cue assault.
The Ipswich District Court heard Kennedy-Tilse and her boyfriend at the time Dylan Lloyd had assaulted Lloyd’s neighbour in the Booval Fair Shopping Centre carpark on February 19, 2021.
Kennedy-Tilse had taken a shortened pool cue out of her sleeve as they approached the neighbour, and Lloyd used it to strike the man several times.
The man fell back onto the ground, and Kennedy-Tilse kicked him repeatedly.
Lloyd received a two and a half year jail sentence in late 2021 for the assault, aged 24 at the time. He was released after 256 days in custody.
Kennedy-Tilse pleaded guilty in February this year to one count of armed robbery in company, using personal violence.
She was sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years.
TRAVIS MOZER, 23
Travis Mozer set his old rental home on fire – in what the Ipswich District Court heard was a costly move for the landlord, who didn’t realise his insurance had lapsed.
Mozer had set fire to some of his possessions underneath the house on June 2, 2021, and the flames quickly spread upwards.
The court heard the damage would cost the owner $90,000 to $110,000 to repair.
The fire also completely destroyed a boat at the back of the house, which had been bought for $13,500.
Police only discovered Mozer’s involvement because he confessed what he had done while they were conducting welfare checks at a caravan where he was staying.
Mozer had a previous minor arson conviction on his criminal history and had struggled in the past with meth addiction.
However, the court heard he had cleaned up his act and was not working for a German sausage vendor.
Mozer pleaded guilty to one count of arson and was sentenced to three years imprisonment with immediate parole release.
COREY TONNER, 23
Deebing Heights tradie Corey Tonner knocked a man unconscious in alcohol-fuelled assault at the Orion Hotel taxi rank.
Tonner had punched the other man once in the head during an argument, and the man fell backwards – hitting his head and falling unconscious.
The victim sustained lacerations to his face and the back of his head, along with minor internal bleeding to the brain.
Tonner pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court last August to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm in a public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.
He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, wholly suspended for 12 months, and also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service.
CURTIS WARD-KAYE, 22
Curtis Ward-Kaye brandished a claw-hammer at a Tivoli servo worker, while a 13-year-old girl bystander was present, in a desperate act to pay rent.
The Ipswich District Court heard Ward-Kaye had threatened the servo worker: “give me the till or I will hurt you,” before snatching $100 and fleeing.
Ward-Kaye had been in a financial bind and the time and was desperate to pay his rent, the court heard.
He had prepared for the act by removing the licence plates from his car, and concealing his face with a mask and dark glasses.
Ward-Kaye pleaded guilty in March this year to one count of armed robbery.
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, with immediate parole release and five days of pre-sentence custody declared time served.
NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED
KAYLA ASHCROFT, 25
Former Ipswich school captain Kayla Ashcroft stole more than $7400 from her employer over a period of three and a half months.
The young single mum fronted Brisbane Magistrates Court at age 25 last December and pleaded guilty to one count of stealing.
The court heard she had made several overpayments to herself totalling $2482 while employed as a company administrator at Oxley Nursery.
Ashcroft had pocketed a further $4938.90 in cash, which she had been supposed to deposit into the company’s bank account.
She was sentenced to two and a half years’ probation and ordered to pay $7420.90 restitution to Oxley Nursery.
JADEN JEFFS, 19
Goodna local Jaden Jeffs robbed a service station half naked and brandishing a stick, in his upset over not getting to spend Christmas with his son.
CCTV footage captured Jeffs, wearing nothing but what appeared to be a pair of red underwear, attempting to force his way into a Goodna service station on the evening of December 23, 2021.
He threw a tree branch at the glass door, then punched and kicked it – but failed to break through.
Jeffs then banged on the glass of the outside night window and told the cashier: “give me all the money, I’m going through a tough time”.
After the cashier handed over $277, Jeffs threatened to come back with friends if she told anyone.
Judge Dennis Lynch noted that Jeffs had dropped some of the money as he ran away “perhaps because of [his] intoxicated state”.
Jeffs pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court last September to one count of armed robbery, and he was sentenced to two years’ probation.
KATHERINE JOHNSON, 24
Young mum Katherine Johnson fronted Ipswich Magistrates’ Court last August for her savage bite attack on a police officer.
The court heard a wake had gotten out of hand at an address in Leichhardt on New Year’s Eve, 2019.
Johnson had been tipsy at the time and was “violently thrashing or resisting” as an officer attempted to arrest her.
Another officer assisted in attempts to arrest her, but Johnson lunged towards him and clamped down on his arm with her teeth.
Johnson pleaded not guilty to one count of seriously assaulting a police officer, but Magistrate Robert Walker found her guilty.
He said police body-worn camera footage showed her lunging at the officer with her teeth “primed to intentionally bite”.
Johnson was sentenced to 12 months probation.
JENNIFER MOKE, 20
An Ipswich magistrate warned Clontarf local Jennifer-Rose Moke that it was time for her to “grow up” as she faced court last August.
Moke pleaded guilty to seven changes including assaulting a police officer while intoxicated, public nuisance at a licenced premises, three unlawful uses of a motor vehicle, fraud, and failure to appear in accordance with an undertaking.
The court heard she assaulted a police officer who had intervened in an intoxicated physical altercation between Moke and another woman.
She had also driven three stolen cars within a span of days – with two of the cars sustaining significant damage, totalling almost $18,000 combined.
Moke had then tried to use a stolen bank card from one of the cars in a Hungry Jacks drive-through.
Magistrate Kathleen Payne told Moke, “You’re 20 years old, you’re not a child anymore. It’s time that you grow up”.
“You need to get yourself back on track because the only one impacted by silly decisions is you.”
Moke was sentenced to 18 months probation, ordered to pay $2300 restitution, and also ordered to complete 60 hours of community service.
GEMMA VOOGT, 19
Aspiring childcare worker Gemma Voogt brutally bashed a former classmate near the Orion Hotel last August.
Voogt was allegedly accompanied by two underaged teenage girls as she demanded that the victim, an 18-year-old girl, give them money.
Voogt kicked the victim multiple times as the girl lay on the ground, and the co-accused allegedly snatched $190.
The trio started walking away, but Voogt returned and continued harassing the girl after she spotted her rising to her feet.
Voogt tipped out the victims shopping, punched her in the head, dragged her by her jumper to the ground kicked her in the head again.
The court heard a bus had arrived at one stage during the “brazen” and “gratuitous” display of violence, but none of the bystanders had stepped in.
Voogt was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty in Ipswich District Court to robbery in company with personal violence and assault occasioning bodily harm in company.
Judge Barlow warned Voogt: “If you wish to have a career in childcare you’re going to have to make sure that you don’t commit any further offences.”
“If you had any criminal history I would have had very little hesitation in sentencing you to a period of imprisonment … but you are a young woman who has your whole life ahead of you and I hope that you make the best of that life.’’
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