Sunshine Coast man abducted daughter from Maroochydore Child Safety Office

A Sunshine Coast man who triggered an amber alert and a police stand off after abducting his daughter from child safety foreshadowed the calculated kidnapping, a court has heard.

The scene where a young girl, subject to an amber alert, was found safe and well on December 19, 2024 at Eerwah Vale. Picture: Jarrod Tutbury

A Sunshine Coast father who abducted his child and triggered an amber alert told his daughter she would be “home before Christmas” in the lead up to the kidnapping.

The 45-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, forced his only daughter to be a part of a nearly six hour standoff from police after taking the eight-year-old girl from child safety during a supervised visit last year.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told Maroochydore District Court on Wednesday the man’s daughter was removed from his care in February last year and was in the custody of child safety.

Mr Andronicus said the man was allowed supervised visits from October that year however he could not leave the department building or be unsupervised with the young girl.

The court was told during these visits the 45-year-old would repeatedly tell her she would be “home before Christmas”.

Mr Andronicus said the man was at a scheduled visit at their Maroochydore office’s family meeting room on the morning of December 19 last year when he told the girl “when I give you the horse ride we will run”.

The father gave her the “horsey ride” around the office on his back before he took her by the hand and ran to his vehicle.

As child safety staff chased him, the man gave them the middle finger before he drove away.

Police were called, which triggered an amber alert to find the abducted child.

Emergency crews on scene after the standoff. Picture: Jarrod Tutbury

Specialist police tracked the man to a private property in Eerwah Vale which was cordoned off.

The court was told the man refused to surrender which led to negotiations until his arrest about 6pm.

Children’s clothes which had the tags on them were found in his car, which suggested the abduction was premeditated, Mr Andronicus stated.

The 45-year-old man made admissions to police, but gave “unfounded concerns” about her wellbeing as reasons why he took her.

He was refused bail a day after his arrest and spent five months and 30 days in custody before he pleaded guilty to abduction of a child and trespass on Wednesday.

Mr Andronicus called the kidnapping a “calculated decision” which was not borne from spontaneous emotion during the visit.

The court was told this was not the man’s first foray with the department of child safety, after he was fined with no conviction recorded prior to the abduction where he refused entry to the department’s officers and police during a welfare check.

Defence barrister Amelia Loode said the Moree raised man worked a variety of jobs in his life ranging from abattoir worker, labourer and carpenter and was a volunteer at the rural fire brigade.

The man (not pictured) was sentenced in the Maroochydore District Court. Picture: Patrick Woods

He stopped this volunteering when he had the care of his daughter.

Ms Loode said the child’s mother had died from suicide several years earlier, and was not part of the child’s life prior to that due to her drug use.

The court was told the man has not had contact with his daughter since his arrest and needed to work with child safety once again so they can facilitate contact upon his release from jail.

She said the incident was sparked due to the belief his daughter was being harmed in care, but acknowledged the impact the incident would have had on the child. 

Judge Vicki Loury KC accepted there was no physical harm done to the daughter during the kidnapping, but told the man he should realise how “distressing” it would’ve been for his child to see the negotiations with police and the fact she had not seen him for six months.

She said it was clearly planned despite a court order, which was in place for the eight-year-old's best interests. 

The District Court Judge said if he wanted a relationship with his daughter in the future he would have to work with the department and not against them.

The man was jailed for 18 months’ but granted parole release as of Wednesday due to time served.