Malachi James Cornick fined $8k for evading police in Rockhampton

A 21-year-old claimed he was driving to get medication for a mate in the grips of drug psychosis when evaded police. As for his long list of other serious charges...

Rockhampton Court House.

A young offender who evaded police amid a seven-month-crime spree, claims he did so to help a friend.

Malachi James Cornick, 21, already had a two-page criminal record before fronting Rockhampton Magistrates Court for a raft of offending he carried out between December 2024 and July, 2025.

Defence lawyer Blake Frost said his client was trying to help a close friend who was having “a serious medical episode” on the night he drove away from police.

“He (friend) was in a drug psychosis and was making threats to Cornick and his other friends that were there at the time,” he said.

“Cornick and his other friends decided to drive the person who was under a drug psychosis to his house for medication for that type of treatment.”

Mr Frost said this was the reason his client gave for evading police when they activated their lights and signalled for the car to pull over taking place on February 6, 2025, at Wandal.

He said he had advised him to call an ambulance in such instances in the future.

The court heard Cornick’s drivers' licence had been suspended by the State Penalty Enforcement Registry for not paying previous fines and he was intercepted driving on June 5 at Frenchville.

Police prosecutor Mirrin Smith submitted Cornish should receive the mandatory 50 days in prison sentence instead of the mandatory minimum hefty fine of $8065 because Cornish had not been paying off his SPER debt.

Mr Frost said the reason for the non-payment was that his client’s identity had been stolen and once he started a job he lined up at a tobacconist, he was “more than willing to pay”.

Cornick pleaded guilty on July 11 to 12 charges including evading police and driving while SPER suspended.

He also committed three offences on December 17, 2024 at Park Avenue – unlawful use of motor vehicle, fail to safely dispose of syringe and wilful damage.

Cornick was busted possessing restricted items at Allenstown on March 3, 2025 and a category A, B or M weapons at Allenstown on March 18.

He also contravened direction of a police officer between December 16 and 24, trespassed in Rockhampton City on July 7 and failed to appear in court twice.

Cornick contravened an order to provide access to electronically store information on March 18 at Allenstown.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale sentenced him to six months prison, wholly suspended with an operational period of 18 months.

She also ordered him to pay a $8065 fine for the evading police offence and disqualified him from driving for two years.