Mt Gravatt teen Theodore Charles sentenced in Ipswich for drug debt robbery

A woman has had one of her fingernails removed, and a man had a car battery hurled at his head during a violent ambush over a drug debt south of Brisbane.

A teenager hurled a car battery at a man’s head during a violent ambush over a drug debt which a court heard involved other victims’ being bashed with a metal bar and having fingernails removed.

Alleged details of a group’s violent drug debt retribution have been revealed in an Ipswich Court, including chilling claims people had their fingernails removed.

Mt Gravatt East resident Theodore Charles, 20, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court to four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm in company, two of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed and in company, and one count of burglary while armed in company (with violence and property damage) linked to the alleged violent frenzy.

Judge Dennis Lynch said Charles had been part of a group that had been keen on “extracting revenge” on someone else over a perceived drug debt.

He said Charles had not been the primary offender, but became involved because he knew one of the victims.

Charles had convinced that victim to give him her address so that he could come over, and Charles passed the information on to his co-accused.

Charles then attended that residence in Goodna on November 20, 2021, allegedly in the company of others.

Judge Lynch said the group entered and assaulted the residents of the home “in a serious way with implements and physical violence”.

“For example striking someone with a metal bar or punching them,” he continued.

Judge Lynch said the only instance of violence in which Charles was physically involved was when Charles emerged from the laundry with a car battery.

He then threw the battery at one of the residents, striking them in the forehead, the court heard.

That victim suffered cuts and swelling to his nose and forehead, while another suffered abrasions and a possible dislocated thumb.

Judge Lynch noted a female victim suffered a cut to her hand, a laceration to her eye, and one of her fingernails was removed.

He said another victim suffered cuts and abrasions to the chest, arms, and back.

Judge Lunch denounced the offending, saying: “If that conduct were permitted to continue, then a civilised society would quickly fall apart.”

The court heard Charles had been 18 at the time of the offending and had no criminal history.

He had spent a total of 471 days in presentence custody due to multiple breaches of his bail, however.

Charles’ had since expressed remorse and accepted that his judgement had been impaired at the time of the offending due to his methamphetamine use, Judge Lynch noted.

He said Charles had had a good upbringing, but his life had unravelled after he became involved with drugs.

Judge Lynch warned Charles to stay away from drugs in future and take advantage of the support he had in the community.

He sentenced Charles to three years imprisonment, with immediate parole release and 471 days in presentence custody declared as time-served.