Teen Ky-mani Puohotaua, 19, faces court over brazen Bulimba luxury carjacking terror

A teenage boy “accepts what he did was wrong” and has escaped conviction for his role in a terrifying broad daylight carjacking in a luxe Brisbane suburb.

A teenage boy involved in a terrifying broad daylight carjacking at Bulimba has vowed to abstain from drugs and get his life “back on track”.

Ky-mani Puohotaua and a group of “like minded miscreants” ambushed their innocent victim Angelo Justus as he tried to leave home in his Audi A3 in June last year.

The Brisbane District Court heard the young offenders used a stolen Mazda to block Mr Justus’ car before Puohotaua, armed with a shovel, and another teen armed with a machete confronted him, demanding he hand over his keys.

The masked and armed thieves made off with the luxury car which was later found dumped in a nearby suburb.

Puohotaua, who was then aged 18 and is now 19, pleaded guilty on Thursday to unlawful entry of a motor vehicle with intent to commit an indictable offence while armed and in company, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Bulimba resident Angelo Justus was the victim of the carjacking. Photo Steve Pohlner

The court heard the teenager, who has no criminal history, had spent 287 days on remand since his arrest in the days after the carjacking.

Judge David Kent KC took that period into account but did not declare it as time served when sentencing Puohotaua to 18 months’ probation.

Defence barrister Kerala Drew said Puohotaua had moved to Australia from New Zealand with his family in 2010 and intended to live with his brother when released.

He is on a temporary visa and is at risk of being deported due to his criminal offending.

“The time in custody for my client has been significant for him,” Ms Drew said.

“He accepts what he did was wrong, he accepts it was very serious.

“That’s reflected firstly in his early plea of guilty, and he’s indicated to me and expressed remorse on a number of occasions.”

Ms Drew said Puohotaua planned to abstain from drug use and “hopefully get his life back on track” after he is released from custody.

Judge Kent said Puohotaua’s offending was committed alongside a “couple of like-minded miscreants” in what would have been a terrifying ordeal for the complainant.

He accepted the crown’s submission that the offending was “sophisticated and brazen” with a “significant degree of violence”.

“Being confronted by masked people carrying weapons is hardly a relaxing pastime,” he said.

“On the other hand you are a youthful first offender.”

Puohotaua was not released from custody due to separate outstanding charges still before the Magistrates Court.

No conviction was recorded.