Rockhampton court hears update in Jeffrey Cranston’s CapRescue case

A court has heard an update in the case against a man accused of intentionally ramming a medical rescue service building last year and allegedly claiming ‘King Putin’ and Russia were invading Australia.

A man accused of intentionally ramming a medical rescue service building last year and allegedly claiming ‘King Putin’ and Russia were invading Australia is awaiting a psychiatric report before his case progresses.

Jeffrey Albert Lang Cranston, 42, was charged by police for allegedly driving his Triton Ute into the RACQ CapRescue hangar building on Canoona Road, Pink Lily, near the Rockhampton Airport on October , 2023.

He faces one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, wilful damage, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, fail to comply with duties of a driver involved in a crash and obstruct police.

Jeffrey Albert Lang Cranston, 42, was charged by police for allegedly driving his Triton Ute into the RACQ CapRescue hangar building on Canoona Road, Pink Lily, near the Rockhampton Airport on October , 2023.

Mr Cranston’s psychiatric assessment will take place on September 11 and the report would take four weeks to be completed, the Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard this week.

During a bail application in court in October 2023, police prosecutor Clancy Fox said it was alleged that Mr Cranston “intentionally rammed the building”.

He said it was also alleged that after the crash, Mr Cranston exited the vehicle, approached a window looking into the hangar, stood up on a desk and “pressed his body up against the glass”.

“He was disturbed by the victim who saw the crash,” Mr Fox said.

“But because of how he was behaving, she was frightened and ran away.

“He (allegedly) chased after her rambling about the helicopters and saying things like, ‘King Putin is invading us’ … and ‘the Russians are invading’.”

Jeffrey Albert Lang Cranston, 42, has been charged after allegedly driving a Triton ute into the office building at the RACQ CapRescue hangar. Photo: Geordi Offord.

He said Mr Cranston allegedly repeated such to police.

Mr Fox said the police objection to bail affidavit outlined Mr Cranston’s father’s concerns that the defendant’s mental health “is drastically and rapidly deteriorating”, he “shows complete disregard for his own safety and wellbeing”, and “he acts out his ideologies”.

During the bail application proceedings, Mr Cranston described Mr Fox as a “sovereign citizen” and referred to himself as an “original”.

Mr Cranston’s charges from the CapRescue incident were adjourned to October 16 and his bail was enlarged.