Jack Beasley’s Law is ‘working’ in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise safe night precincts

The parents of slain teen Jack Beasley are preparing to head back to court – the teen convicted of their son’s murder is appealing the length of his sentence. It comes after his dad declared “Jack’s Law is working”. Find out why.

The parents of slain teen Jack Beasley are preparing to head back to court – the teen convicted of their son’s murder is appealing the length of his sentence.

The boy was 15 when he swung the knife and stuck 17-year-old Jack in the chest, killing him, outside the Surfers Paradise IGA about 8pm on December 13, 2019.

He was sentenced to 10 years prison and ordered to serve seven.

The teen lodged an appeal in August last year but there was a delay in getting the appeal heard in the Court of Appeal in Brisbane.

Jack’s dad Brett Beasley said in August last year: “This young thug took our son’s life and as far as we are concerned he should have got 100 years and he is whinging about seven?

“The juvenile justice system is a joke.

“The Queensland government ought to be ashamed of themselves and need to get their finger out and fix the system.”

Jack Beasley

It was alleged a group of five boys were in Surfers Paradise when Parkwood teen Jack was fatally stabbed near the Surfers Paradise IGA. One of Jack’s friends, also 17, was stabbed in the back and chest, leaving him with a punctured lung.

In CCTV footage played repeatedly to the court in May during the judge-only trial, the teens are seen running from the scene immediately after the fight.

They were aged between 15 and 18.

The youngest pleaded guilty on May 9 to murder and two counts of committing a malicious act with intent.

A 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. He was sentenced to seven years’ prison, with parole eligibility in August next year. He has not lodged an appeal.

Flowers, hand written notes and other items left by the friends of murder victim Jack Beasley at the scene of the tragedy outside the Surfers Paradise IGA. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

The three teens were acquitted after a lengthy trial.

During sentencing last year the 15-year-old gave his own mumbled apology: “I’m very, very sorry for what I have done.”

The appeal comes less than a fortnight after the law inspired by Jack – giving police wanding powers to search people in entertainment precincts with handheld metal detectors – was signed.

Six knives were found over the Easter weekend across the state, including two on the Gold Coast.

April 11: Why Jack’s Law is working on the Gold Coast

The father of the Gold Coast teenager fatally stabbed in Surfers Paradise – which inspired new police wanding powers to check for knives – has declared “Jack’s Law is working”.

Police were patrolling out in force over Easter for the first weekend where “Jack’s Law” was in place statewide after its long trial on the Gold Coast. Jack’s Law – in memory of Jack Beasley who was fatally stabbed in Surfers Paradise – enables new wanding powers for police.

The law gives police the ability to use a small handheld metal detector to search anyone in a safe night precinct like Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach or on public transport.

Brett and Belinda Beasley have pushed to see Jack’s Law introduced across the state. Picture David Clark

Six knives were found across the state in the Easter operation, including two folding blades on the Gold Coast.

The small number of weapons has been described as “fantastic” by advocates for the law.

Jack’s father, Brett Beasley – who was one of the driving forces behind the law – described it as fantastic.

“I am over the moon,” he said.

“I am ecstatic about it.

“580 people scanned (statewide) and there were only six weapons found.

“It just goes to show that Jack’s Law is working,” Mr Beasley said.

An example of the knives found by police on the Gold Coast during the first week of Jack's Law being in effect. Picture: Queensland Police

The powers have been in place since May 2021 as a trial on the Gold Coast but were expanded to a state wide initiative after they were signed into law on April 2. It would have been Jack Beasley’s 21st birthday.

Jack was just 17 when he was killed after being stabbed in Surfers Paradise in December 2019 during a confrontation with a group of teens.

His death was one of four on the Gold Coast relating to knives in 18 months between September 2019 to January 2021. Those deaths included 17-year-old Harrison Geppert, 27-year-old Raymond Harris and 35-year-old Nicholas Braid.

Jack Beasley

Queensland Police received body worn camera footage showing officers finding the knives as they searched people.

On the Gold Coast a small silver folding knife – with a blade about the size of an adult’s palm – was found being carried by a man in his small black bag.

Another shot shows police holding a knife with a blade about 15cm as they search through a backpack.

The Gold Coast has the largest number of people subjected to metal detection with 387 scanned.

An example of the knives found by police on the Gold Coast during the first week of Jack's Law being in effect. Picture: Queensland Police

The number of hits was far less than when the wanding powers were first introduced.

In the first four weeks eight knives, two shivs and an axe were found on the Gold Coast.

Queensland Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler said: “Six knives detected is six too many.

“We don’t know how many lives we may have saved over the weekend in those three locations.”

He said the process was not confrontational and many people had heard about the campaign.

The law is now rolling out across Queensland with police Easter wanding operations in Townsville and Brisbane. The Beasleys are pushing for it to go national.