Jake Clarke: Logan crim found hiding in roof with woman, meth

A serial car thief was found hiding in a roof with some drugs and a woman after running away from cops in handcuffs during a dramatic manhunt in Logan Central.

A serial car thief from Kingston was found hiding in a roof with some drugs and a woman after running away from cops in handcuffs during a dramatic manhunt in Logan Central.

Jake Morris Raymond Wayne Clarke, 27, pleaded guilty in district court at Beenleigh on Friday to nine charges including escape by a person in lawful custody and two counts of unlawful use of the motor vehicle.

The court heard Clarke went to the BP Waterford fuel station in a stolen Toyota Corolla and left without paying for $64 of fuel at 9.30pm on August 12, 2020.

Police officers were conducting patrols in Maize Ave, Logan Central on August 26, 2020, when they spotted the Toyota Corolla parked at the entry of a unit complex.

They found Clarke in the passenger seat and a woman in the driver’s seat and placed them under arrest.

While one of the police officers left to go to their car for assistance, Clarke and the woman stood up and ran off while still handcuffed.

The officers called for assistance and began foot patrols in the area before getting a tip-off about the pair being seen running towards a residence on Maize Ave.

A perimeter was established and eventually, police entered a search of the house and found Clarke and the woman hiding in the roof.

Clarke was found in possession of a NAB credit card that belonged to someone else, a clip seal bag of meth, a number of used syringes and needles and a cone piece for cannabis.

The court heard Clarke had a lengthy criminal history including charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He was on parole at the time of offending.

Clarke’s lawyer said his client had suffered sexual abuse as a child and started using drugs like heroin at age 10.

He was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence.