Stockland Rockhampton mountain bike armed robber background revealed

A teen robber guilty of more than 100 crimes has convinced a judge not to record a conviction against him after his most recent violent offence.

Generic crime Istock - Criminal with knife weapon threatening to stab

The dysfunctional toxic family environment and extensive childhood criminal background has been revealed at the final Children’s Court sentencing of a repeat juvenile offender who told his robbery victim “do you want to get shanked, c***?”.

Jack* was 17 when he and David*, another 17-year-old, approached two boys they knew in the Stockland Rockhampton carpark about 7.20pm on November 1, 2023, and grabbed the victims’ expensive mountain bikes.

Stockland Rockhampton Shopping centre Photo: Chris Ison / The Morning Bulletin

Crown prosecutor Tessa Wormsley told Rockhampton District Court on August 6 that Jack reached into his shirt as if he were armed before saying “do you want to get shanked, c***?”

“The victims felt threatened and backed off,” she said.

One of the victims stated in an impact statement that they were incredibly anxious and weary when outside in public spaces at night

since that night.

104 offences; from brutal attacks to arson

The court heard Jack first appeared in court at 15 but he had been getting into trouble since he was 13.

He was 17 years and 11 months at time of sentencing for the Stockland Rockhampton armed robbery, and has now accumulated 104 offences including arson, robbery, and a serious driving offence.

Three of those offences attempted armed robberies - one where he threatened someone with a knife for car keys and another where he punched and kicked a 66-year-old man for money.

The third was when he pulled a shiv on detention staff for car keys.

“His prior use of violence isn’t limited to those occasions,” Ms Wormsley said.

She said he punched a person at Stockland Rockhampton causing them to spit out blood, feel dizzy and unable to sit straight.

Ms Wormsley said on another occasion he punched a 13-year-old sitting on the steps at Stockland Rockhampton in the side of the head, “forcing the child’s head back”.

“The defendant and his co-offender walked off and returned before the defendant punched him again to the head, jaw and body,” she said.

Ms Wormsley said there was an assault occasioning bodily harm offence in his history from when he threatened a taxi driver with knuckle dusters before punching him numerous times in the throat and neck.

She said a large remainder of his criminal history consisted of breaking into people’s homes and stealing cars for joy rides with friends.

Ms Wormsley said he had been placed on many community based orders and detention orders, but said “none of which appear to have been successful in his rehabilitation or protecting the community”.

Judge Jeff Clarke said there were four probation orders, one Restorative Justice Order and three detention orders with supervised release.

A detention order was still active when he committed the Stockland mountain bike armed robbery offence.

That order was for two attempted robberies and arson.

‘Exposed to violence and drugs before age two’

Ms Wormsley said his pre-sentence report identifies concerns such as pro-criminal beliefs, his continuing relations with antisocial peers, his drug use as a favoured coping strategy, his poor frustration and distress tolerance.

Judge Clarke said reports provided to the court showed Jack had “chronic exposure to adversity”, namely exposed to violence and drugs before he was two years old, and there had been no child protection orders and no attempts to remove him from his mother’s care.

“You suffered significant neglect, physical and emotional abuse, domestic violence and substance abuse, there is significant conflict within your family and with family members towards you,” he said.

“You’ve been rendered homeless or moved away for you own safety and wellbeing and hung around other young people interested in breaking the law and used a vast amount of drugs to deal with your trauma.

“You’re currently medicated for post traumatic stress disorder.”

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client moved himself out of home after he was most recently released from detention, and began offending to pay for the accommodation and buy drugs.

She said going forward, he has a referral for youth housing with the aim to live independently away from the family environment and has been participating in a mentorship program with the intention to join once he completes the last certificate he needs to gain his Year 10 equivalent qualifications.

Judge Clarke was told Jack required a Year 10 certificate and no convictions to continue the mentorship program.

Army generic.

Ms Shaw said Jack, who had been institutionalised due to his time in detention, had become fond of the structure provided in the detention setting which would be similar to what he would find in the army.

“It’s the unstructured environment in the community that he struggles with,” she said.

“The army puts in more guard rails.”

Ms Shaw said it would also remove him from the pro-criminal peers and negative family influences.

Judge Clarke said it had been documented that Jack’s sister was a positive influence on him, despite the dysfunctional home environment they grew up in.

He sentenced Jack to an 18-month detention order, to serve 50 per cent.

Given Jack’s prospects of rehabilitation by joining the army, Judge Clarke ordered no convictions recorded.

* The Morning Bulletin has changed the names of the defendants as they cannot be identified by law because they are under the age of 18.