Drug user Bo James Allen jailed after Rockhampton taxi armed robbery

A man who once smashed a man’s head with a shovel because the man called police on him over aggressive behaviour is back behind bars after another aggressive incident.

Bo James Allen, 30, was bare foot when he hailed the taxi at 10.45pm on October 24, 2022, Rockhampton District Court heard one year later. Armed with a spanner, he robbed the taxi driver and demanded his wallet, threatening him with violence.

A man with a violent criminal history claims he was fleeing others when he got into an argument with a taxi driver over paying upfront and producing a spanner while robbing the cabbie of cash in the centre console, a court has heard.

Bo James Allen, 30, was barefoot when he hailed the taxi at 10.45pm on October 24, 2022, Rockhampton District Court heard one year later.

His barrister, Sheridan Shaw offered up the barefoot and time of day as the reason for the taxi driver immediately requesting upfront payment for his fare.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Keast said Allen offered up $10 while he argued with the driver and threatened to take the taxi driver’s money off him before jumping from the back seat to the front seat, obscuring the security camera, making more threats of violence and rummaging through the taxi’s centre console.

He said during the protracted ordeal, Allen produced a 50cm long spanner, asked the driver “you want to f--- around bro?”, accused him of being racist.

Mr Keast said the driver believed Allen stole about $500 cash from the centre console, part of which he used to pay the fare at the end of the trip.

Ms Shaw said Allen had fled a friend’s place where he had been staying after some people he had an altercation with days earlier rocked up.

She said the issue with the upfront payment caused her client to snap.

Allen’s criminal record includes an assault occasioning bodily harm while armed conviction for a revenge assault with a shovel to a witness’s head and a grievous bodily harm conviction.

Ms Shaw said her client, who was one of eight offspring, was exposed to domestic violence growing up, his mother died when he was 18 and he did not have a relationship with his father.

She said he is a father of four who had worked in scaffolding, commercial painting and welding.

Ms Shaw said in the lead up to this offence, Allen lost his job, separated from his partner, was grieving from a death in the family and had returned to using drugs.

She said he has a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder from his disadvantaged childhood and had been medicated in prison.

Allen pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one of intent to steal (the taxi driver’s wallet) by demanding it and using threats.

He was sentenced to three years prison, to start after a five-month fully activated suspended sentence ends.

Allen will be eligible for parole on November 11, 2023, after 347 days presentence was declared as time served.