Youth gang culture, Sunshine Coast eshays exposed in court
Bum bags, sneakers and mullets are often sported by Sunshine Coast “eshays” causing havoc on the region’s streets, train stations and shopping centres. See their crimes:
Police & Courts
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Bum bags, sneakers and mullets are just some of the telltale signs of an “eshay”, who are often seen loitering around train stations and shopping centres on the Sunshine Coast.
Eshays can be referred to as young men associated with low-level street crime, similar to British chavs or roadmen.
The young men who choose to travel in groups can be seen wearing a range of clothing labels including Adidas, Fila, Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike TNs and Lacoste.
Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Craig Mansfield told the Sunshine Coast Daily there had been problems with a “red” gang based in Caloundra known for low level crime.
“They would all wear red shirts or red bandannas … they were linked to street crime, shop steals, possibly drug supply,” Sergeant Mansfield said.
Sergeant Mansfield said the Northside Gang remained a “haphazard” problem, predominantly for car thefts on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa.
He said there were Sunshine Coast youths believed to be “tapping into” the Northside Gang.
“We still have little punks but it’s mainly that Northside Gang who come up, but there’s ones from Logan, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Woodridge who come up,” he said.
Below is a list of the eshay-like men who have caused havoc on the streets of the Sunshine Coast.
Bowie Naava Larnach
A self-proclaimed “king eshay” caused frightening scenes on-board a Sunshine Coast train when he threatened to stab passengers with a screwdriver.
Bowie Naava Larnach was placed on a six-month suspended prison sentence in Caloundra Magistrates Court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to six charges including public nuisance while on-board a Queensland Rail train on December 13, 2021.
Larnach told police he had shared a bottle of bourbon with a friend before he started yelling obscenities and making threats towards other passengers while holding a screwdriver.
Police prosecutor Amanda Brewer said Larnach threatened to stab a passenger with the tool.
The 20-year-old, who had boarded the train at Nambour Station, was also involved in a brawl with two other passengers.
A witness of the fight successfully separated Larnach from the other passengers when he continued to goad the other passengers into a fight.
After being arrested Larnach said he was defending his friend who he claimed was punched several times by two passengers after accidentally knocking a hat off a man’s head.
Ms Benson suspended Larnach’s six-month prison sentence for 12 months.
Brant Maxwell Lleyton Moore
A 21-year-old Tewantin man who harassed Sunshine Coast police officers on Facebook racked up several charges in a matter of months due to his drug addiction, a court has heard.
Brant Maxwell Lleyton Moore’s long list of charges stemmed from a three month spree of offending where was busted with meth and drug related items.
The most serious charge stemmed from a post Moore published on his public Facebook page.
Police prosecutor David Hoffmann told the Maroochydore Magistrates Court the 21-year-old posted a photo of two police officers on June 29, 2021 with the caption “leader of the Sunny Coast paedophile ring”.
When Moore spoke to police he said he made the post “for a laugh” because he didn’t like cops.
Moore pleaded guilty to possessing drugs, syringes, scales, money used in the commission of an offence, and suspected stolen property.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to appear, breaching bail, obstructing police and using a carriage service to menace and harass.
Moore was given a head sentence of six months’ jail to be suspended after serving two months.
The operational period of his suspended sentence was then extended by six months.
A parole release date was set for January 11, 2022, with convictions recorded.
Tarik Tyson
A 21-year-old man battling addiction since the age of 12 has been described as a “madman” after trying to headbutt a police officer during his latest spree.
Tarik Tyson pleaded guilty to 10 charges in Maroochydore Magistrates Court last October including common assault, wilful damage, enter premises by break, unlawful use of motor vehicle, obstructing police and trespassing.
The most serious offending occurred on August 29, 2021 when Tyson and another person broke into MM Electrical in Maroochydore by cutting through a wire fence and stole a three-year-old vehicle in the middle of the night.
The court heard the car had been started up and then driven off, with the defendant ramming it through the locked gate and dumping it later on in a damaged state.
Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin told the court on four separate dates between July 31 and August 26, Tyson trespassed at Nambour Plaza where he had been previously banned.
“Without any warning you walked over to where the security was and punched him in the face,” Mr McLaughlin said.
Mr McLaughlin ordered that he be sentenced to nine months imprisonment but be eligible for parole immediately.
Convictions were recorded for all matters except the trespassing and obstruct matters.
Benjamin Noel Henderson
A face tattooed father who smashed glass doors to steal property from Sunshine Coast businesses tried to run from police before being caught by a police dog.
Benjamin Joel Henderson broke into four Sunshine Coast businesses by smashing glass doors during a nine-day crime spree in July 2020, before he was arrested on August 5, 2020.
Police footage of the arrest shows how the now 24-year-old attempted to escape police by running into bushland but was quickly located by a police dog.
Last September Maroochydore District Court heard Henderson stole a gel blaster and electronic equipment before abandoning a car with identification documents that led to police finding him.
Crown prosecutor William Slack said he smashed the glass doors of each business to get inside.
Mr Slack said one business had a loss of just over $1000 and said it could be gleaned that other businesses experienced a similar cost.
Henderson pleaded guilty to five offences including four entering a premise to commit an indictable offence and one count of attempting to break into a premise to commit an indictable offence.
Henderson was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for the break and enter offences and two years for the attempted break and enter.
A parole eligibility date was set for May 7, 2022, delaying Henderson’s release by four months.
Combined with 411 days of pre-sentence custody Henderson will serve 20 months behind bars.
Levi Robert May
Levi Robert May was “off his head” when he bit a police officer who tried to stop him from eating a bag of crystal meth from his pants, before two syringes fell from his bottom during a violent outburst.
May had already assaulted multiple police officers when he reached into his pants and grabbed out a bag of meth that he tried to eat at the Maroochydore Watch house on January 14, 2021.
A female police officer tried to stop May from swallowing the drugs when he bit her forearm.
May was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to a string of 14 charges including possessing dangerous drugs, two counts of serious assault of a police officer while adversely affected in a public place and serious assault of a public officer by biting.
Angus Barrett John Haager
The promise of $25,000 of methamphetamine has landed a 22-year-old back in jail after police searched his phones.
Judge Deborah Richards sentenced Angus Barrett John Haager two-and-a-half years in jail with parole eligibility after six months after pleading guilty to 16 charges including 11 counts of supplying a dangerous drug.
Maroochydore District Court heard Haager had a lengthy criminal history and was on parole when he made broad admissions to police that he had been dealing methamphetamine.
Crown prosecutor Adam Mason said messages evidenced Haager offering to supply methamphetamine to people 11 times between June 5 and June 10, 2020.
“With respect to charge 8, it was a discussion of a transaction for 85g for an amount of $25,000,” Mr Mason said.
He said while Haager made admission to making some actual deals, the transaction of 85g did not eventuate.
Haager was eligible for parole on August 12, 2021.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
Frank Partsch
A Zillmere teenager has come before the court after he was involved in an “aggressive” rampage through Noosa’s glitter strip during the school holidays.
More than 12 emergency calls were made to police on January 3, 2022, in regards to a group of five Brisbane-based young men causing havoc at Noosa Heads.
Police prosecutor Nick Nitschke said the calls made to police described a group of “Islander males” wearing dark clothing, armed with baseball bats and using bandannas as face coverings.
“One of the calls reported that five males were chasing three other males … they were described as violent and aggressive,” Sergeant Nitschke said.
Sergeant Nitschke told the court there had been a fight organised on Facebook between the group of Brisbane private school boys and Noosa locals.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said he didn’t understand why a group of young men would be acting in this way.
“It’s a very serious public nuisance offence … the stupidity of all this is the mob mentality,” Mr Stjernqvist said.
Partsch pleaded guilty to being a public nuisance in Noosa Magistrates Court and was fined $400 for the offence. No conviction was recorded.
Casey James Schafer
An argument over a lighter led to a 21 year old bashing a teenager near a pub, a court has heard.
Casey James Schafer was placed on probation in December, 2020 for a fight in a Beerwah street in May, 2019.
Maroochydore District Court heard he had been drinking with a friend who was kicked out of the Beerwah Hotel.
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said the pair made their way down the street where some acquaintances were standing.
“When those paths crossed, the defendant asked the complainant’s male friend for a lighter,” Mr Stark said.
“That friend refused and the defendant became aggressive.”
The victim then intervened, telling Schafer to back off before a fight broke out.
He pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm while in company.
Schafer was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay the victim $500 in compensation.
No conviction was recorded.
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