Sunshine Coast FIFO workers, former and current, sentenced in court

From drunken night-life attacks to violent encounters with police, these are some of the fly-in fly-out workers who have passed through Sunshine Coast courts.

Fly-in fly-out workers travel vast distances across the country for work, often on demanding multi-week rosters, with many calling the Sunshine Coast home.

Some FIFO workers are not strangers to controversy however and have found themselves before the region’s courts.

From drunken police attacks to savage assaults, these are some of the FIFO workers who have been sentenced in Sunshine Coast courts.

CONVICTIONS

David Frederick Boyd

David Frederick Boyd.

A Sunshine Coast FIFO worker avoided jail time for grooming a police officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl after he sent several photos of his genitalia.

David Frederick Boyd, 58, was working in Central Queensland in March, 2020, when he came into contact with a fictitious teenager named Ashley via two online messaging platforms.

Judge Glen Cash said police, who were acting as Ashley, had informed Boyd early on in the conversation that the girl was only 14, but he proceeded to turn the chat to sexual matters.

Boyd had already pleaded guilty to two counts of grooming a child under 16 years with intent to expose them to an indecent matter in May of 2021 in the Maroochydore District Court.

He was sentenced on November 26, 2021, to six months’ imprisonment, suspended immediately for 12 months.

A conviction was recorded and he will become a reportable offender.

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Zeke Francis Shackleton

Zeke Francis Shackleton, 28, was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court on May 23, 2022, to two years prison suspended after serving three months, along with 50 hours’ community service to be completed within 12 months.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Shackleton was at the Peak nightclub on Ocean St in Maroochydore when he got into an argument with a 34-year-old man on January 16, 2021 before he attacked him later that night.

Shackleton punched the victim in the face three times, with the third punch splitting his lower lip in two.

Defence solicitor Anna Smith said her client didn’t recall clenching his fists and thought he was going to be attacked by the victim.

Shackleton pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm in a public place while affected by an intoxicating substance.

Judge Byrne recorded a conviction against Shackleton.

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Jaxun Lee Marr

A FIFO worker’s holiday to the Sunshine Coast turned sour when he spent 10 hours in the watch house for assaulting a police officer on Ocean St.

Western Australia man Jaxun Lee Marr, 29, was fined in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on May 13, 2022, after pleading guilty to four charges of assaulting a police officer, public nuisance, possessing medicines and obstructing police.

Police prosecutor Nick Nitschke said Marr was drunk at the Post Office nightclub on April 17, 2022 and attempted to start a number of fights with other patrons.

He was taken to the ground, escorted from the premises and handed over to police.

Marr continued to be verbally threatening towards police and they told him he was under arrest for public nuisance.

Officers searched him before Marr tried to break free from police and flee and kicked one of the officers in the knee area, causing pain and discomfort.

Duty lawyer Neesha Maidwell said he drank too much and had no recollection but he did accept responsibility for his actions.

Marr was fined $600 and convictions were recorded.

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NO CONVICTIONS

Charles George Crews

Charles George Crews.

A Coast dad who drunkenly left lewd messages asked a stranger to tickle his balls because he thought he was calling a scammer, a court heard.

Charles George Crews, 44, said he was the one who had called a random phone number multiple times on May 20, 2021.

Police prosecutor Stu Lydford said the Parrearra man had started calling a Brisbane woman’s mobile and left multiple messages throughout the day.

Sergeant Lydford read to the court the full contents of one of the more graphic messages.

“The other night I was sitting around playing with my balls, I really like playing with my balls and giving them a little tickle” Crews had said in the message, the court heard.

He said Crews, a Roma based fly-in, fly-out gas worker, had later told police he’d been drinking from 1pm on May 20 and had decided to call the number thinking it was a scammer.

Crews pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on July 21, 2021 to using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

Duty lawyer Kylie Anderson said Crews had just come back from a 14-day straight roster where he’d had “disrupted sleep” and was stressed at work.

Crews was given a two-year good behaviour bond, with the condition he undergoes supervision of a community corrections officer for 12 months.

No conviction was recorded.

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