Dillon Alexanda Coulton, 26, traumatised a woman in carjacking at Mackay and then led police on two car chases

A carjacker high on meth hit speeds of 160kmh in a Landcruiser while leading police on a highway chase after he snatched the car at knifepoint from a Central Queensland shopping centre. See what the victim initially told him.

“I’ve got a knife. Get out of the car.”

This is what a methamphetamines user said when he carjacked a Landcruiser from a Central Queensland shopping centre car park.

The drug user, Dillon Alexanda Coulton, traumatised a woman when he forcibly entered her vehicle, told her he had a knife and told her to hand over the keys and car, before leading police on two dangerous high-speed chases through Mackay on February 24, 2021.

Coulton, 26, pleaded guilty on November 18 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of armed robbery, one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, two disqualified driving counts, three evade police, two fraud (dishonestly gain) and one fail to dispose of a needle safely.

Crown prosecutor Elise Sargent said the victim of the carjacking, a 34-year-old woman, had just pulled up in the Mount Pleasant Centre at 10.32am when Coulton forcibly opened the passenger door, climbed in and threatened her with a knife.

She said the woman, who didn’t know Coulton, did recognise him from her work with Queensland police.

Drug user, Dillon Alexanda Coulton, traumatised a woman when he forcibly entered her vehicle at Mount Pleasant Centre, told her he had a knife and told her to hand over the keys and car, before leading police on two dangerous high-speed dangerous chases through Mackay on February 24, 2021.

Ms Sargent said Coulton then told the victim: “Give me the keys. I’ve got a knife.”

She said the victim told Coulton: “No. F--- you.”

The victim then noticed Coulton holding an item about 20-30cm long wrapped in a green material which he then lunged at her with, striking a part of the car with the knife.

The victim fled the car and ran towards the shops where she turned around to see Coulton hopping in the driver’s side of the 2018 Landcruiser and taking off.

A police officer spotted the stolen Landcruiser parked on the side of the road in the North Mackay area at 10.45am and activated lights and sirens.

Coulton sped off in the Landcruiser, with police following as he drove on the wrong side of the road, went through three red lights, mounted a kerb at a traffic light, drove down the wrong side of the street in a residential area, mounted a gutter and drove on a front lawn.

Coulton drove at 50km over the speed limit during this chase which ended when police deemed it too dangerous to continue.

An hour and 44 minutes later, Coulton was spotted driving the Landcruiser in South Mackay.

Coulton evaded police again, overtaking vehicles by going over double white lines and doing 150kmh in a 100kmh zone, then 120kmh in a 70kmh zone.

He also failed to stop at a stop sign and drove at 160kmh in a 100km zone on the Bruce Highway.

Police posted a video of Coulton on the Queensland Police Facebook page which Coulton’s mother saw.

She identified her son, had a family member double check the identification, and reported to police who was in the video.

Coulton was next seen on the Capricorn Highway near Emerald on February 25 but police were unable to intercept him.

He was eventually located that same day at Beaconsfield by other police officers.

Coulton had also stolen a man’s wallet, using his credit card to buy Jack Daniels pre-mix cans and cigarettes.

Drug user, Dillon Alexanda Coulton, traumatised a woman when he forcibly entered her vehicle at Mount Pleasant Centre, told her he had a knife and told her to hand over the keys and car, before leading police on two dangerous high-speed chases through Mackay on February 24, 2021.

Coulton’s driver’s licence was disqualified in Mackay Magistrates Court for two years on May 8, 2019, and then extended by two years in November 2019.

He was on a suspended sentence during the offending period.

Ms Sargent said Coulton told police he was hearing voices who told him to take a car.

She said Coulton’s brazen carjacking in broad daylight in a public place had a traumatic impact on his victim financially and psychologically.

Defence barrister Maree Wiley said her client had worked in mines, construction and as a removalist since leaving school in Year 9, but was unemployed at the time of the offending.

She said he had moved back in with his parents for 12 months after his last period in jail, but they had a falling out about his drug use so he was essentially homeless, staying with friends or his girlfriend.

Ms Wiley said Coulton had mental health issues from his drug use and had been an inpatient at Townsville in 2018 after a suicide attempt.

She said in the days leading up to the armed robbery, Coulton had been consuming meth and had not slept for four or five days.

Ms Wiley said Coulton described his headspace at the time as being “all over the place”.

She said Coutlon found it took six months, while in prison ahead of sentencing, before he stopped thinking about consuming drugs and now considered them to be wasting his life.

Ms Wiley said her client planned to return to living with his parents upon release and wanted to lead a normal life.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Coulton’s criminal record was “significant and alarming”.

He lectured Coulton on using drugs and trying to stay away from them after he was released from prison, with Coulton nodding his head indicating he was actively listening to the advice.

Judge Chowdhury said Coulton’s offending was “extraordinarily dangerous”.

He ordered Coulton to a head sentence of three years’ prison, declared 266 days pre-sentence custody, and ordered the sentence be suspended after serving two years with parole on May 24, 2022.

The sentence’s operational period was five years.

Coulton’s driver’s licence was also further disqualified for three years for the two dangerous operation of a motor vehicle counts, three years for the disqualified driving counts and two years for the three evasion offences.