Beau William Davidson sentenced for Rockhampton car thief chase

A Queensland father-of-four armed with a machete chased car thieves in suburban streets after his wife became a victim of crime. See how the drama all unfolded.

Beau William Davidson

A vigilante armed with a machete chased accused car thieves in suburban streets after they rammed into his wife’s car, a court heard.

Beau William Davidson, 31, had recently been a victim of crime when a stolen car rammed into his wife’s vehicle in front of him on Musgrave Street in Berserker on January 15 and Davidson gave chase, police prosecutor Clancy Fox told Rockhampton Magistrates Court on November 27.

He said the father-of-four actively sought information about stolen cars on social media after his car was stolen.

Mr Fox said on the day his wife’s car was rammed, Davidson was travelling in a different car, “became enraged by this” and followed the stolen car around Rockhampton for about 10 minutes.

He said while Davidson was chasing the car, police received multiple calls from the community about it.

Mr Fox said the stolen car did a U-turn at the intersection of Charles and Princess streets in Berserker – a built up residential area with a 50km/hr speed limit.

“The defendant, at a speed of about 10km/hr, collided with the side of the stolen car,” he said.

“His intent was to immobilise it.”

A taxi driver and several residents came out of their homes due to the commotion and witnessed Davidson jump out of the driver’s seat and grab a machete from his car.

“He ran at the stolen car with a machete in his hands,” Mr Fox said.

The witnesses called emergency services and the stolen vehicle drove off.

Davidson hopped back in his car and chased after it, following it to Painswick Street in Norman Gardens where the occupants jumped out of the stolen vehicle at a unit block.

He chased them on foot but lost them so he drove off.

Davidson was intercepted a short time later by police and while talking to them, after calming down, he recognised “how terrifying the ordeal would have been for those involved in the situation”, Mr Fox said.

‘DEFENDANT EXPLAINED HE LOST HIS COOL’

He said the defendant was “genuinely apologetic for his actions” and “explained he lost his cool” after seeing the ramming of his wife’s vehicle and the general stolen car issue in the region.

Magistrate Cameron Press said there was a reason why vigilantism must be denounced.

He said people who were not police could get it wrong and make mistakes.

Mr Fox said vigilantism could also lead to putting other people’s safety at risk.

Vigilante driver chasing a stolen vehicle when his car crashed into aspiring police officer Jennifer Board.

A vigilante driver was chasing a stolen vehicle when his car crashed into aspiring police officer Jennifer Board while she was riding a motorcycle in Townsville in 2021.

He was sentenced earlier this month after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Defence lawyer Grant Cagney said his client wasn’t chasing the stolen vehicle at the time it rammed his wife’s car.

He said Davidson was on his way to the bank and his wife was on her way to do the grocery shopping.

Mr Cagney said his client stopped to check on his wife after she was rammed.

He said Davidson had been broken into prior to this incident and his mate was broken into the night before.

“It was a split-moment decision the chase that stolen car,” Mr Cagney said.

He said the machete was in his car because he had been working in landscaping at the time and he used it to cut down trees.

Mr Cagney said his client had yelled at the witnesses to call police because he wanted the people who hit his wife to be caught.

Davidson pleaded guilty to one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and going armed in public to cause fear from this incident.

His criminal record included a conviction for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle from 2021.

Mr Press sentenced Davidson to 20 months prison, wholly suspended and operational for 20 months.

Davidson was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and convictions were recorded.