‘Get the f— out of the car’: Man jailed for carjackings

The 32-year-old man carjacked two people at knifepoint before going on a “violent crime spree”, crashing the stolen vehicles into a bus and a police car.

A man who carjacked two drivers while brandishing a large knife went on a "violent crime spree" which ended with him crashing a stolen van into a police car, a court heard.

An intoxicated Brenton Leslie Harvey held a man at knifepoint as he was reversing into a park along Mooloolaba Esplanade at 2pm on June 10 last year.

"Get out of the f------ car, get the f--- out of the car," Harvey said to the driver.

The Maroochydore District Court heard Harvey, 32, had been holding a large, silver kitchen knife under a black hooded jumper near his stomach, which the driver thought could have been a knife or a gun.

Fearing he would be hurt the man got out and Harvey got behind the wheel.

The man's wife ran towards the car and opened the passenger door but Harvey sped off with both front doors of the car still open, the court heard.

The couple immediately rang triple-0 and 20 minutes later police attempted to stop Harvey as he drove along Maroochydore Rd.

Brenton Leslie Harvey was jailed for carjacking two drivers at knifepoint in June last year.

Crown prosecutor Christopher Cook said Harvey stopped at a red light but as police approached he sped through the light, clipping a trailer with the front bumper and damaging the car.

At 2.40pm Harvey stole 40L of petrol from a station in Peregian and at 3.50pm the car was seen in Sunrise Beach on David Low Way.

"At this point (the) car was severely damaged," Mr Cook said.

Harvey was swerving and "sliding wildly" as he turned through bends in the road.

Mr Cook said Harvey then attempted to overtake a slow bus and collided with the driver's side.

The bus had about eight passengers on board.

Harvey drove away, crashing into road work barriers and pushing them as he continued to drive dangerously.

'Bad combo': Alcohol, jealousy fuel jaw-breaking punch

Teen charged with Noosa glassing granted Easter stay

Clock 'stopped' on $130m Coast development decision

At 4pm he left the car and approached a delivery driver dropping a parcel off at a Castaway Beach home, the court heard.

"Leave the keys in the ignition and get out of the car," he said, opening the van's door and brandishing the kitchen knife.

The court heard police deployed stingers as Harvey made off in the stolen van but he avoided them and drove towards Sunrise Beach.

Dashcam footage shown to the court depicted Harvey dangerously driving the van, swerving across lanes and narrowly avoiding the police cars in pursuit.

His crime spree came to an end when he drove down a dead-end street and attempted to do a three-point turn but collided head on with a police car.

Brenton Harvey was arrested after crashing the stolen delivery van into a police car while attempting to get away. Picture: Supplied

Police arrested Harvey and found cans of VB beer strewn about the van.

Harvey refused to provide police with a saliva specimen or breath test.

Facing court on Tuesday, Harvey pleaded guilty to 10 charges including unlawful entry of a motor vehicle to commit an indictable offence while armed, unlawful use of a motor vehicle causing damage and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

He also faced charges of fraud and failing to provide a specimen.

Mr Cook said there were aggravating circumstances to the offences including deliberate dangerous driving for a prolonged period, using a weapon and being intoxicated.

"No doubt the complainants were left in fear," he said.

"Mr Harvey went on very dangerous crime spree.

"It was only by fortune no one seriously injured."

Defence lawyer Mark Dixon said Harvey had experienced personal stresses prior to the carjackings.

 "The situation he found himself in leading up to the offences was quite tragic," Mr Dixon said.

"His father passed away in 2019, he lost his fly-in fly-out job because of Covid and had a breakdown of his relationship.

"The day of the offences was the final day of the relationship.

"This doesn't excuse behaviour but those three issues contextualise how he found himself consuming alcohol and pills and falling back onto ways that were only ever going to get him in trouble."

Mr Dixon said Harvey had been diagnosed with partial post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

He said Harvey was committed to his rehabilitation and was remorseful, as indicated by an early guilty plea and a letter of apology.

Judge Richard Jones said he had taken into account the early plea and the triggering events leading up to the offences.

"All of this occurred in one calamitous day," he said.

"Dashcam showed just how recklessly and dangerously you drove that van.

"Swerving around vehicles driving high speed through low speed residential areas.

"(But) your plea is reflective of a sense of shame and remorse for what you have done."

Judge Jones delivered a head sentence of four-and-half years with parole eligibility after 18 months.

Harvey was disqualified from driving for two years.

He will be eligible for parole on December 9. 

Originally published as