Weird and wacky matters heard in Sunshine Coast courts in 2023
From an online scam promising to mail a cat to an angry neighbour armed with weedkiller, here are some of the more eyebrow-raising matters at Sunshine Coast courts this year. SEE THE FULL LIST.
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From a “botox bandit” involved in a $1100 injectables swindle to a nudist claiming he was dusting of sand mites during a dirty deed, these crimes have raised eyebrows at Sunshine Coast courtrooms.
See some of the wacky crimes which have featured in the region’s courts in the past 12 months.
Convictions recorded
Brendan James Blatchly
A Toowoomba man was sentenced for a failed home invasion attempt and an online scam which involved promises to send a sphinx cat in the mail.
Brendan James Blatchly pleaded guilty in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 7 to two charges of wilful damage (domestic violence offence) and four charges of fraud.
The court was told that on May 25, 2022 Blatchly defrauded two people through a scam on Gumtree, advertising a pedigree sphinx cat for sale.
Blatchly received $1000 from one customer and $1125 from another and told them he would mail the animal, yet neither ever received the cat.
Blatchly then scammed another two people, this time pretending to sell an iPhone and a Harley Davidson motorcycle in August where he was paid $820 for the phone and $500 for the motorcycle.
Police found the iPhone and the motorcycle during a search on November 18, but Blatchly claimed he had sold two different sphinx cats, but could not remember who to.
The court was told he also attempted a home invasion at a Glass House Mountains home in March 2020.
Lawyer Matthew Cooper told the court on June 7 that his client had sold the motorcycle, and despite being unemployed, was able to repay his victims.
Blatchly was ordered to pay $3445 in restitution and convictions were recorded
Jacob Arthur Amos
A Sunshine Coast man told police officers he was “having a moment” after he was caught by moviegoers masturbating during a screening of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Jacob Arthur Amos appeared on video link in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday, October 10 and pleaded guilty to four offences including improper use of emergency call service, indecent act in a place of public access, stealing and trespass.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Mark Burrell told the court a 22-year-old woman and her mother had been among about 20 other people watching the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in May, 2023 when they noticed Amos “jerking off”.
“She glanced over and made eye contact with the male laying down on his own with his jacket over his lap making movements consistent with jerking off,” Constable Burrell said
The court was told the masturbation offence and the improper use of an emergency service call occurred shortly after Amos was released on parole for unrelated offences.
Constable Burrell said during the triple-0 call to the ambulance, Amos provided a false name and the call responder believed him to be masturbating on the phone at the time.
Solicitor Katie Paterson told the court Amos suffered from number of mental health conditions including schizophrenia and was hearing women’s voices at the time of the cinema incident.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist sentenced Amos to six months’ imprisonment, eligible for parole immediately, and fined him $900.
Rhys Alexander Davis
An ex-masonry worker pulled up to court in a stolen car two weeks after driving away in another stolen car with a police officer inside, a Sunshine Coast court heard.
Rhys Alexander Davis appeared May 16, 2023 in Noosa Magistrates Court on video for stealing two cars while he was on a suspended sentence.
Magistrate Chris Callaghan labelled Davis as “brazen” and “cheeky or stupid” for attending court on February 7, 2023 shortly after parking close by in a stolen car.
Davis was a passenger in the vehicle with an acquaintance being the driver, the court heard.
About two weeks prior on January 20, 2023, police officers became aware of a different car reported as stolen stopped inside the Noosa Civic Centre car park.
Mr Callaghan said a police officer hopped into the front passenger seat to speak with Davis who set off in the car, driving about 30m while struggling with the officer before jumping out of the moving car.
Davis was tasered by police officers who found he was unlicensed and in possession of 0.3g of meth and drug utensils.
Defence lawyer Liesel Rogan said Davis is making “promises” to the court to see a GP in order to access drug abstinence programs and return to the stone masonry industry.
Mr Callaghan sentenced Davis to two years’ imprisonment and was released on parole on September 6, 2023.
He was disqualified him from driving for one month and his 98 days spent in pre-sentence custody from February 7 was declared as time served.
Davis pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing a vehicle, one count of driving without a licence, one of possessing drugs, one of breaching bail, one of obstructing police, one of possessing property suspected of being used in a drug offence and one of receiving tainted licence plates.
Corey Jack Clayton Powell
Palmview apprentice hairdresser has faced court after an Uber Eats delivery driver was exposed to him performing a lewd act in an open garage.
Corey Jack Clayton Powell pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on January 9 to one count of wilful exposure.
The court was told the Uber Eats driver arrived to the Palmview home on December 15, 2022 only to find Powell sitting naked on a chair inside the open garage and appeared to masturbate.
Police prosecutor Lee Allan said Powell was in plain view of the street and made no attempt to cover himself after he saw the delivery driver.
When police arrived, Powell, who was now in a pair of boxer shorts, told police he had a medical condition which made him “lose control of himself” but could not tell officers the name of this condition.
Senior Constable Allan said Powell denied masturbating but indicated he “intentionally displayed himself”.
Defence lawyer Rachel Holland said her client had “no idea” the driver was coming that early and Powell was “remorseful” and “extremely embarrassed” by his actions.
Powell was given a $750 good behaviour bond.
Phillip Malcolm Fitch
A man who attempted to rob a 68-year-old store attendant while armed with a needle and syringe asked the victim “is that all” when provided the cash before leaving empty-handed.
Phillip Malcolm Fitch appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Monday November 20, where he pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery with violence while armed.
Crown prosecutor Elle Bolam told the court Fitch, who was on bail at the time, attempted to rob a 68-year-old woman working at a Glasshouse Mountains service station while armed with a needle and syringe filled with fluid in May, 2022.
“He told the complainant he was there to rob her and he threatened to stab her with the needle if she didn’t give him money, she then produced $250 onto the counter,” Ms Bolam said.
Ms Bolam told the court Fitch repeatedly told his victim he was “dead meat” before fleeing the store empty-handed because he found the money available “insufficient”.
Defence barrister James Feely told the court the 33-year-old was remorseful, and repeated the fact that Fitch did not take any money.
“It is an unusual circumstance in as much as one goes as far as to actually have the money offered to one during the course of such a robbery and then refusing to take it and leave,” Mr Feely.
Judge Anthony Rafter told the court he did not agree Fitch had desisted of his own volition, adding he had a lengthy criminal history and offended while on bail.
Fitch responded to Mr Rafter’s sentencing remarks saying, “I’ve given my life to the lord now, your honour.”
Mr Rafter sentenced Fitch to three years’ behind bars with a parole release date of November 18, 2024.
Zion Keanu Winnington Martin
A Moffat Beach concreter and an associate brazenly took off in a tinny while hurling abuse at park rangers after they were busted with three dogs in a dog-prohibited national park at Bribie Island.
Zion Keanu Winnington Martin pleaded guilty in Caloundra Magistrates Court on June 28, 2023 to obstructing an authorised officer and committing a public nuisance offence.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers were conducting inspections on April 8, 2023 at the Lighthouse Reach day area where they found a small aluminium boat moored near the banks of the park with dog footprints in the sand.
Police prosecutor Phillip Stephens told the court the rangers tethered the boat to a tree in order to seize the vessel as evidence before Martin and another man, who was unable to be identified by police, approached the rangers with three dogs.
Sergeant Stephens said two of the dogs had worn chest plates which was a common practice for hunting wild pigs to protect the dogs from injury.
The pair refused to state their full names and addresses refused and Martin began to unhitch the boat.
One of the rangers reached out to grab the small boat but Martin made a motion indicating he was about to strike him with a clenched fist.
“Believing he was about to be assaulted, he immediately reacted, letting go of the vessel, stepping backwards and raising his arms in a defensive position,” Sergeant Stephens
Martin told the police officers he visited Bribie Island with an associate from the Northern Territory and the three dogs belonged to the man, and they were attempting to find a fourth dog which had escaped.
Magistrate Catherine Benson accepted he may have been under some “misapprehension about the authority” and fined him $1750.
Convictions were recorded.
Julie Anne Daldy
A 57-year-old former nurse, dubbed the “botox bandit” after she walked out on a $1100 injectables bill, swindled a friend out of $2100 for a private dentist appointment for her granddaughter.
Julie Anne Daldy appeared in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court via videolink on November 14, where she pleaded guilty to 14 offences including fraud, drug drive, stealing, failing to appear and possessing drug utensils for use.
Police prosecutor Leonie Scott said the most serious of these were the fraud charges, which included Daldy walking out on a $1100 botox treatment bill 0n March 28, 2023.
This led to Daldy being the subject of an A Current Affair story, where she was labelled a “Botox bandit”, the court was told.
Daldy later swindled a friend out of more than $2000 for dental treatments for her granddaughter and took $50 from another woman for fake plants.
Lawyer Katie Patterson told the court her client was suffering from stresses in her personal life at the time of the offences, including her mother’s death.
The court was told Daldy grabbed the card details from a friend’s card, which was left on their kitchen bench, to pay for her granddaughter’s dental procedures after her granddaughter’s face began swelling.
Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin noted Daldy could have taken her granddaughter to a public hospital and didn’t understand why she went to a private dentist instead.
He sentenced Daldy to six months and 14 days behind bars with immediate parole release and she was disqualified from driving for one month.
The 85 days Daldy spent in pre sentence custody was declared time served and convictions were recorded.
Corey Dean Downey
A 38-year-old father-of-three was sentenced after he brutally punched a man in the face, breaking his nose, over a disagreement about a kitten.
Corey Dean Downey appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Monday November 13, where he pleaded guilty to five charges including assault occasioning bodily harm and stealing.
Downey was also convicted of possessing a large butcher’s knife in public, obstructing police and possessing tainted property.
Crown prosecutor Nicola Hamilton told the court Downey was on parole at the time when he returned to the apartment he shared with his partner and the 55-year-old victim to find their kitten locked in its cage.
“The complainant told them he had put their kitten in its cage as it had knocked over some glasses, the defendant then punched the complainant in the nose four times causing him to see stars and fall to the ground, while his nose bled,” Ms Hamilton said.
“While he was on his knees (Downey’s partner) kicked him in the stomach twice causing pain, the defendant grabbed a knife from the kitchen but (Downey’s partner) told him to put it back.”
Ms Hamilton told the court Downey punched the man in his head a further three times before the couple fled taking the victim’s wallet and mountain bike.
Barrister for Downey, Mark Dixon, told the court the father-of-three was an aspiring tattoo artist who had ongoing issues with drug use since the age of 14.
Judge Glen Cash sentenced Downey to 18 months’ prison with immediate parole.
Elleny Jade Matthews
A Sunshine Coast mum was jailed for driving onto a marathon track just metres from competitors, and two days later punching and robbing a trusting neighbour.
Maroochydore District Court heard on August 31, 2023 Elleny Jade Matthews drove in the parking lane at Cotton Tree Parade while the area was zoned off for Sunshine Coast Marathon athletes in 2022.
Crown prosecutor Joana Dias told the court Matthews was driving at a slow pace before police officers and other supervising staff shouted at her to stop.
This was when she “accelerated heavily” and drove within metres of marathon competitors, taking some traffic cones with her, Ms Dias told the court.
Chief Judge Brian Devereaux said Matthews was fortunate no competitors were hurt.
Two days later, Matthews and another man visited the home of a neighbour and began throwing false verbal abuse, calling the neighbour a “dog” and a “pedophile”.
Ms Dias said Matthews demanded cash and other items, saying “we’re here to clean you out”.
Matthews and her co-offender threw one punch each at the victim’s face and grabbed some of his valuables, the court heard.
Defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown said she wanted to see her son upon release from custody and she had received an initial diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Matthews was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with her parole release set for September 6, 2023.
She was disqualified from driving for three years and 237 days of her 380 days spent in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.
Elleny Jade Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of robbery in company with personal violence, two of possessing drugs, two of possessing drug utensils, two of possessing a knife in public, one of unlawful use of a vehicle, four of unlicensed driving, one of driving while drug was present in saliva or blood, one of driving under the influence, one of failing to provide blood for testing, two of failing to stop when ordered by police, one of driving without a licence, one of dangerous operations of a vehicle and one of obstructing police.
Renee Annette Cowling
A Noosa dish hand faced court for stealing a pricey “magic” rose quartz crystal from a metaphysical supply store in Noosa Junction.
Renee Annette Cowling pleaded guilty to one count of stealing in Noosa Magistrates Court in April, 2023.
Police prosecutor Allison Johnstone said CCTV footage showed the woman entered Symbolic Journey on February 18 and “took hold of the rose coloured quartz crystal in the shape of a cylinder from the top shelf of the crystal section” and placed it in her bag while staff members were distracted.
Magistrates Haydn Stjernqvist said the $118 rose quartz crystal was still missing “and we don’t know where it’s working it’s magic now, because the restitution has been sought”.
Lawyer Laura Nightingale Cowling previously worked as a dish hand at Magic of India in Noosaville and had gained employment as a dish hand at Frenchies Restaurant.
“She can’t provide an explanation as to why she took the crystal other than she does collect crystals but obviously can’t afford them because they’re quite expensive,” Ms Nightingale said.
Cowling was sentenced to four months’ prison, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay $118 in restitution.
A conviction was recorded.
Convictions not recorded
Jonathan Alexander Girvan
A neighbourly dispute involving property boundaries turned poisonous after an electrician sprayed weed killer on hundreds of dollars worth of bamboo.
Jonathan Alexander Girvan pleaded guilty in Noosa Magistrates Court on October 24, 2023 to one count of wilful damage.
Police prosecutor David Hoffman told the court the victim residing in the property had erected a fence to separate their properties and later planted $528 worth of bamboo along the fence line in July, 2023.
The court heard CCTV footage captured Girvan spraying the plants with a spray nozzle four days later and the vegetation and weeds had yellowed and appeared to be dying.
Police officers attended the properties in August where they found pump spray packs, bottles of poison and Yates Zero weed killer in Girvan’s home as well as a text message conversation between himself and another neighbourhood resident.
One day before he was captured spraying the fence line, Girvan had said “the Zero was coming out” to the resident, Senior Constable Hoffman told the court.
“That c--------r over the back, he is one strange as f– k motherf-----r, planted bamboo and built little shelters for them so I can’t spray them out,” Girvan had said through text.
Defence Lawyer Chelsea Emery told the court the offence had been “very foolish and very out of character” and described the incident as an “absolute brain snap.”
Acting magistrate Raelene Ellis placed Girvan on a good behaviour bond of $1000 for 12 months and ordered him to pay compensation.
No conviction was recorded.
Troy Anthony Davis
A man in his 50s was “mortified” after a police drone caught him appearing to pleasure himself at an isolated Noosa beach during a police crackdown on illegal nudists in the area.
Noosa Magistrates Court was told a police drone filmed Warana man Troy Anthony Davis appearing to masturbate nude in the sand dunes at Alexandria Bay with other nudists nearby on April 20.
There are no official nude beaches in Queensland and public nudity is illegal.
Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said police arrived at the beach after the drone captured Davis and found him swimming in the ocean, still naked.
Sergeant Johnstone said Davis denied he was masturbating and said he was brushing sand mites off himself.
Defence lawyer Chelsea Emery said her client was heavily involved in the naturalist community and had been for about 20 years.
She told the court Davis said there were other couples present at the time of the offence and claimed they were not offended by his behaviour.
“He says … that they were being intimate as well,” she said.
“It’s not as if he was just watching, there was at least some level of acceptance of other people on the beach.”
There were no children and limited other people around at the time of the offence, she said.
Davis pleaded guilty on May 30 to one charge of indecent exposure.
He was fined $500 and a conviction was not recorded.
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