Jasmine Palmer, Jesse Wylie-Clarke: Ipswich couple sentenced in court for luring man to carjacking

A young mum and dad duo from Ipswich have faced sentence for luring a man to a remote location and stealing his car, leaving him phone-less, alone, and without a way home.

A young Ipswich couple have fronted court this week, charged with a string of offences including luring an unsuspecting man to an isolated location before robbing him.

Jasmine Christina Palmer, 20, appeared in Ipswich District Court on Wednesday April 27, where she pleaded guilty to eight charges including three counts of stealing, two of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, one of wilful damage, one of entering a premises and stealing, and one of unlawfully entering a car with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Her accomplice and former boyfriend Jesse Craig Wylie-Clarke, 25, appeared in the same Ipswich court on Thursday April 8.

He pleaded guilty to three charges: entering a premises and committing an indictable offence, unlawfully using a motor vehicle, and unlawfully entering a motor vehicle with intent at night.

The pair share a three-year-old son.

The district court heard this week that the couple were in a relationship when they offended together in late September 2020 at Laidley against a 27-year-old man they met only a month prior, Jayden Gordon.

Crown prosecutor Michelle Parfitt said on Thursday there had been some discussion between the two men about engaging in work together.

“Ultimately, the complainant left his phone temporarily with Mr Wylie-Clarke,” Ms Parfitt said.

“He then attempted to retrieve that from him but Mr Wylie-Clarke told him he no longer had the phone.”

After some “back and forth” between Wylie-Clarke and Mr Gordon for a number of weeks, they arranged to meet and drive together to pick up the phone from a third person.

Mr Gordon collected Wylie-Clarke and Palmer in the evening and the couple directed him to drive to a remote location.

Ms Parfitt said the group waited there for an extended period of time and, after about 30 minutes, Mr Gordon fell asleep in his car.

“He subsequently woke up to (Wylie-Clarke) yelling at him and Ms Palmer shining a torch in his face,” she said.

“(Wylie-Clarke) yelled at the complainant to get out of his car. The complainant realised at this point in time that his mobile phone and a packet of cigarettes were no longer in his pocket and the car keys were no longer in the ignition.”

Mr Gordon exited the car and walked away, as instructed, and Wylie-Clarke and Palmer took off in his car.

The 27-year-old walked to a nearby residence and called the police, who later found the car abandoned with both Wylie-Clarke’s and Palmer’s DNA on cigarette butts and drink cans inside.

The court heard Wylie-Clarke originally provided a “self-serving” version of events to police and denied committing any offences.

On Wednesday, Palmer’s counsel Stephen Kissick explained his client had a “disadvantaged start” with a long history of drug use, also leaving school midway through Year 11 after she fell pregnant with her and Wylie-Clarke’s son.

Mr Kissick said Palmer was now on a positive trajectory towards a calmer, drug-free life.

“She’s keen to be a mother. She’s keen to be in employment when she can,” he said on Wednesday.

“She’s now somewhat more mature than she was when she was 18 years of age. There were drug problems in her life then that she intends to ensure never again interfere with her community functioning.”

Likewise on Thursday, Wylie-Clarke’s counsel Justin Thomas said his client had a tumultuous childhood after he lost his father when he was 10 years old.

The court heard he grew up in Ipswich and attended Laidley State High School until Year 11. He worked for some time in the asbestos removal industry, but substance abuse permeated his “entire adult life” and interfered with his employment.

Mr Thomas told the court Wylie-Clarke had benefited from being drug-free for at least the past year and nine months, since he was remanded in custody in September 2020, and hoped his future would include him re-engaging with his three children and commencing work as a painter.

Judge Bernard Porter QC said Palmer’s offences would ordinarily send a mature adult to jail for some time, but he had to take into account her age at the time of the offending, her progress since, and the 35 days she spent in presentence custody.

This is a case where a sentence focusing just on probation is the just response,” Mr Porter said.

Palmer was sentenced to probation for a period of three years.

No convictions were recorded.

On Thursday, Mr Porter said he had taken into account Wylie-Clarke’s extensive criminal history and the 579 days he had spent in presentence custody.

He also referenced the 25-year-old’s “chaotic” upbringing, drug addiction issues, and the “obviously serious” nature of his offending.

Wylie-Clarke was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with immediate parole release, after Mr Porter declared all 579 days he spent in presentence custody time served.