Reace Edward Forrester sentenced for assaults, deprivation of liberty

A “family man” vigilante kidnapped a teenage boy and threatened to cut his penis to “teach him a lesson” in a bizarre case of mistaken identity during the height of Covid.

Reace Edward Forrester leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A Landsborough stonemason turned vigilante abducted a teenage “thug” he mistook for stealing a friend’s car to “teach him a lesson”, a court has been told.

Reace Edward Forrester, 38, was supported by his family and young children in the Maroochydore District Court on Monday, November 13, where he was sentenced over the hour-long ordeal involving a 16-year-old boy.

The court was told the boy was a passenger in a car stolen from Forrester’s friend’s house three days before the event on October 14, 2020.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus said Forrester, with another man who was sentenced in court for his part in the offences on March 22, 2022, spotted the teenager with his brother at Landsborough station and mistook him as the car thief.

Forrester’s co-accused tackled the teenage boy to the ground, bruising his hip, before he was thrown into a ute and driven to Forrester’s friend’s house, whose stolen car the teen boy had been in days earlier.

Reace Edward Forrester leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The court was told Forrester’s friend wasn’t home at the time, so the teen was put back in the car and driven to a bottle shop and then Pioneer Park at Landsborough.

The court was told he was finally let out of the car, but Forrester threatened the teenager with a knife, holding it behind his ear and against his throat.

He cut the boy’s hair, clothes and hat and threatened to cut his penis, the court was told.

Forrester and his co-accused had been drinking at this point.

The teen was later dropped back at the train station. The whole ordeal lasted one hour, the court was told.

Mr Andronicus said Forrester was questioned by police and said he took the teen to the house where the car was stolen from and said things to make him “s--t himself”, but denied assaulting him. The knife was never found.

Reace Edward Forrester leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

He described the teen as a “thug” and said he “took s--t into his own hands” and was trying to “teach him a lesson”.

Defence barrister Matthew Hynes said Forrester was a “hardworking family man” and the offending came at a stressful time in his life; during the height of Covid and when his stonemasonry business was suffering.

This and seeing another hardworking man have his car stolen led him to act “out of character”, the court was told.

Mr Hynes said his client was a father and stepfather with plenty of family support who volunteers his time at football clubs.

The court was told his stonemasonry business would suffer if he was sent to jail.

Forrester pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while in company, deprivation of liberty and common assault.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ prison, suspended for two years.

Convictions were recorded.