Kayla Maxfield, Dylan Tuckwell-Cvek to serve jail time for involvement in Kirwan street shootout
A man and woman have been sentenced for their involvement in a ‘gangland-style’ shooting on a suburban Townsville street that was likened to a Tarantino film.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A handgun-wielding woman sprayed bullets at a car with a man inside in a “gangland-style” shooting on a Kirwan street, before fleeing in a stolen luxury car which was later torched.
Despite being compared to a Quentin Tarantino film, Townsville Supreme Court has heard the “chilling” events that played out on Gould St, Kirwan, on August 10, 2019 were anything but fiction.
Behind the wheel of a stolen red Mercedes Benz, Dylan Ryan Tuckwell-Cvek, 28, and Kayla Cheree Maxfield, 27, had followed Shane Robert Alexander in his LandCruiser to Gould St.
It was there that Maxfield, holding a .45 calibre handgun, exited the Mercedes and sprayed seven bullets at close range into Mr Alexander’s car while Tuckwell-Cvek watched on.
The details of the shooting were aired in Townsville Supreme Court on Wednesday, where both Maxfield and Tuckwell-Cvek were sentenced for their part in the offending.
The sentencing came after Tuckwell-Cvek faced a two-week jury trial before Justice Peter Callaghan.
While Maxfield was due to face a trial alongside Tuckwell-Cvek on an attempted murder charge, she on the first day pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of malicious act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; the attempted murder charge was withdrawn.
She also pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous conduct with a weapon, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, arson and possession of dangerous drugs.
Tuckwell-Cvek’s own attempted murder charge was later withdrawn and substituted for an alternative of malicious act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, for which he also pleaded not guilty to.
Tuckwell-Cvek was convicted on the malicious act charge, as well as a count of arson over his involvement in the torching of a stolen red Mercedes Benz.
He was acquitted on the charge of dangerous conduct with a weapon.
The court heard that during the shooting, two bullets passed through Mr Alexander’s car: one through the rear headrest and another through the front windscreen.
Two more bullets struck the drivers-side door but did not pass through.
Nobody was harmed in the shooting, but Tuckwell-Cvek’s leg was later injured after he was hit by the LandCruiser during a second interaction after he and Maxfield chased the Toyota, the court heard.
The Mercedes, valued at $132k, was later torched in an attempt to conceal their involvement.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate said Tuckwell-Cvek later likened the incident to a “Grand Theft Auto mission” in a message.
But Justice Callaghan in sentencing Maxfield described the shootout as “chilling” and akin to “an out-take from a lesser Tarantino film”.
“ … But the bullets were real, the fire was destructive, and the violence was just sickening … ,” he said.
Her barrister Harvey Walters spoke of Maxfield’s troubled upbringing, “raging drug addiction”, and of her progress while in custody in completing a multitude of certificates.
“She has done something with herself in custody to try and better herself as she best can,” Mr Walters said.
Justice Callaghan said Maxfield had been given a choice on that day.
“ … As you put it you were of the mind of ‘well, f--k it’ and then did what you did,” he said.
“You do not get to make that choice in civilised society, you cannot treat your community like that.”
Tuckwell-Cvek’s barrister Damian Sheales said his client had turned his life around in the years before the offending, would now need assistance to walk after being hit by the LandCruiser.
“Every time he takes a step it is a salient reminder of what can occur by becoming involved in criminal offending,” Mr Sheales said.
Justice Callaghan commented that Tuckwell-Cvek had been “dragged” into the crime by his commitment to Maxfield.
“ … You on the other hand told ridiculous lies to police and went to trial and maintained you weren’t present for the arson,” he said.
Maxfield was sentenced to eight and a half years jail, while Tuckwell-Cvek was sentenced to eight.
Each had 1183 days of presentence custody declared as time served.
More Coverage
Originally published as Kayla Maxfield, Dylan Tuckwell-Cvek to serve jail time for involvement in Kirwan street shootout
‘Not where my focus has been’: LNP candidates remain mum on abortion
KAP leader Robbie Katter has accused David Crisafulli of stealing his voters, while the three LNP candidate hopefuls have stated any law changes are ‘not their focus’.
Your guide to the best Melbourne Cup functions in Townsville
From Cluden Park to The Strand, revellers are expected to flock to events across the city, with pubs, clubs and hotel function rooms packed with punters for Australia’s horseracing day of days.