Brisbane father hides in tree, runs over train tracks, to avoid arrest

The father of four will serve time in prison for multiple evasion offences, in a sentencing that left his family devastated.

Ten years on the straight and narrow came to a devastating end for a Brisbane father when a relapse into drug addiction saw him sentenced to prison at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court today.

Floyd Samson Henare Thomason, 30, pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including trespass, evading police and obstructing police, which occurred between October 14, 2019 and September 26, 2020.

Floyd Samson Henare Thomason will spend Christmas in lock up.

Defence lawyer Shaun Kolo told the court Thomason had a checkered past but had ceased offending for nearly a decade in order to be a present and caring role model for his four children, now aged between 11 and one year old.

Thomason ran into trouble with the law again in September last year, when a police patrol on Anzac Ave in Mango Hill noticed him driving a Hyundai Getz while disqualified from driving.

According to the police prosecutor, the police car tried to intercept Thomason by driving behind him and activating its lights.

Thomason pulled into a Puma service station and appeared as though he might stop for police, but when they got out of their car, Thomason looked at one of the officers, said, “I’m sorry”, and drove off.

Subsequent checks revealed he was the driver of the car and in a police interview, Thomason said he simply “panicked”.

Floyd Samson Henare Thomason surrendered himself to police so that he may eventually gain access to drug rehabilitation services.

The court heard the offending escalated from there, as Thomason failed to appear at court on several occasions and was pulled over for driving while disqualified a further two times.

On June 13, Thomason was driving a truck “erratically” on Mary St in Caboolture when he drew the attention of police.

They tried to pull him over, activating their emergency lights and sirens, but Thomason accelerated, “speeding up dramatically” in an attempt to evade arrest.

The court heard police chased Thomason to a dead-end street, where he jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran into bushland.

He was later found hiding in a tree.

The final set of six charges occurred on September 26 at the Fortitude Valley train station, when railway squad officers detained Thomason for a search.

Thomason provided a false name then fled from police, running onto the railway lines and dropping his backpack in the process.

The backpack contained several used, uncapped syringes.

Thomason continued to evade arrest until he sought help for his drug addiction from Pacific Island Connect, who offered him the opportunity to attend a rehabilitation centre on the condition he had no outstanding warrants.

In an effort to finalise his court matters and receive the help he needed, Thomason surrendered himself to police on Monday, December 7.

Magistrate Trevor Morgan sentenced Thomason to four months imprisonment for each evasion offence, each to be served concurrently.

For failing to appear at court, Thomason was sentenced to a further one month imprisonment, to be served cumulatively.

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He was disqualified from driving for two years for each disqualified driving offence, and three months for driving while a repeat offender.

For all other offences, Thomason was convicted and not further punished.

He will be eligible for parole on January 26.

Thomason’s wife, who supported him in the courtroom, broke down in tears during the sentencing.