Teen says he was not at the wheel when top cop’s son was hit
A teenager alleged to have been doing “hand brakies” and drifting when he ran over a police officer has told a court that he had taken a cocktail of drugs and can’t recall much of the night – but he knows he was not driving.
Logan
Don't miss out on the headlines from Logan. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A teenager has denied that he was at the wheel when a car doing “hand brakies” around a roundabout ran over a police officer.
Joshua Grant Shackell, 19, was in a car with Sebastian Rodriguez after a Christmas party when the Ford Laser hit Constable Ben Condon as the officer signalled for him to stop his car at Yarrabilba, near Logan, in December 2018.
At a contested sentence in the Brisbane District Court yesterday, Shackell denied that he was the one behind the wheel when Constable Condon, the son of Queensland Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon, was struck.
‘I enjoy the smell of you’: Man admits sexual assault
Driver in court of ‘vigilante’ drug debt kidnapping
Shackell, who was 18 at the time, said he initially told officers he had been a passenger in the car because he had “felt pressured by police”.
The court heard he later confessed to being the driver after a conversation with his mum.
Shackell said he changed his story because he wanted to protect Rodriguez as the pair had been friends since Grade 9.
But yesterday Shackell told the court he was now positive he was not at the wheel, but did admit to taking cocaine, MDMA and drinking heavily on the night of the hit and run.
Shackell said he drove to pick Rodriguez up from McDonald’s in Yarrabilba, but when he got there about 2.30am Rodriguez said: “Oy c--t let me drive”.
He testified that it was Rodriguez who was at the wheel when the officer was hit.
Rodriguez, 22, denied that he was the driver and has not been charged over the incident.
He said he was sitting in the passenger’s seat and scrolling through social media on his phone when he “felt something” before the car dropped after running over the tyre deflation spikes.
Constable Condon, who was responding to reports of hooning, rolled out road spikes which disabled Shackell’s Ford Laser.
He was taken to hospital with a leg injury.
When the car came to a stop, the pair fled and ran into nearby bushes to hide from police.
Shackell was arrested that night and Rodriguez handed himself into police the next day.
In March, Shackell pleaded guilty to serious assault and dangerous operation of a vehicle, but on the terms that he was not driving.
He also pleaded guilty yesterday to burglary with a circumstance of aggravation and five summary charges.
Barrister Martin Longhurst said Judge David Reid could not find Shackell had been at the wheel because he had given the confession when he was “coming down off drugs” and had felt pressured by police.
Crown prosecutor Chontelle Farnsworth said the confession coupled with Rodriguez’s account made for “powerful and compelling” evidence that Shackell was the driver.
Mr Longhurst said still photographs from body and dashcam footage also cast doubt on his client being the driver.
Judge Reid reserved his decision for a date to be fixed.
Shackell was granted bail.