Lewis Knack pleads guilty to threatening violence in stand over job at Maroochydore

An Ipswich man has had his violent escape labelled as “Dumb and Dumber” after he and a group of masked people tried to threaten a Sunshine Coast woman, to find out they went to the wrong house.

Lewis Baden Knack faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday by video from custody. Picture: David Clark

A Bellbird Park mason has been told his violent escapades were similar to the movie Dumb and Dumber after he and three others tried to stand over a woman at her Sunshine Coast home, only to find out they had the wrong house.

Lewis Baden Knack, two men and a woman donned face coverings at a Maroochydore home on December 30, 2023 and pretended to have weapons, however they were in fact, at the wrong house.

This disturbing incident was only one of 11 offences the 27-year-old pleaded guilty to at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday, which included three counts of possessing dangerous drugs, threatening violence, evasion and contravening an order to access his phone.

The court heard of Knack’s most serious offence where he was described as a “back up gang member” in his botched stand over attempt.

Lewis Baden Knack. Picture: Facebook

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said Knack arrived with three others at the back door of the home because the woman in their group had a dispute with the person they believed was in the house.

Mr McLaughlin said the group held their hands under their shirts to feign being armed and were there as “muscle” and “back up”. They demanded to speak to the woman they thought lived there.

The court was told however the person inside the home did not know the woman or the group and had no idea what they were asking about.

The magistrate said it was inferred the group went to the wrong house, and they all left the scene. CCTV from nearby however identified Knack after he removed his face coverings.

“Sounds like another example of Dumb and Dumber,” Mr McLaughlin quipped, referencing the 1994 comedy starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.

Some of the Bellbird Park man’s other offences included being found with drugs, failing to appear in court, and evading police at Little Mountain after they tried to apprehend him.

He appeared in court on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark

Knack was taken into custody on January 18 and had been there ever since.

Defence lawyer Katie Paterson said the offences came during a time where Knack was using drugs “every day” while hanging out with anti-social mates.

Ms Paterson said the 27-year-old was not the principal offender of the threatening violence incident, but was rather back up.

Mr McLaughlin labelled Knack’s failed stand over attempt as an “absolutely chilling” event.

“One could only imagine how terrifying that would’ve been for that woman inside the house,” he told Knack, who appeared in court by video from jail.

“It was a person you didn’t know from a bar of soap.”

Knack was sentenced to nine months’ jail, with 56 of his 180 days of his time in custody declared as time served.

He was given immediate parole eligibility, and disqualified from driving for two years.