Leonard William Rawlings sentenced over Gold Coast public nuisance

A man who had to be arrested at taser-point by police after wielding a stick inside a Gold Coast IGA and banging it on windows has left a Magistrate scratching her head with his bizarre reasons for the offending. What he said in court

Leonard William Rawlings sentenced over bizarre public nuisance incident. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A man who was arrested at taser-point by police after wielding a stick inside a Gold Coast supermarket and banging it on windows has struggled to explain the cause of his bizarre offending.

Coolangatta Magistrates Court was told Leonard William Rawlings attended the IGA at Tugun about 7.30pm on June 6 and grabbed two boxes of Carmans Muesli Bars and a salad bowl, before heading towards the exit.

“At the time the defendant (Rawlings) was holding a stick and attempted to leave the store making no attempts to pay for the items,” Police prosecutor, Senior Sergeant Greg McKenzie told the court.

“A manager of the store has approached the defendant and told him, ‘stop, you still need to pay for that’. The defendant has raised the stick towards the manager who was about one metre away and walked towards him.

“The manager has had to walk backwards away – the defendant has then exited the store, and hit the stick on the sliding last door on his way out.”

Rawlings wasn’t finished for the night and headed to a nearby Bendigo Bank outlet and began banging his stick on the window – forcing staff and bystanders to ring police.

The IGA at Tugun Beach where Rawlings attempted to take a number of items before leaving. Picture: Supplied.

“On arrival police witnessed a cleaner inside the building and another male in his vehicle parked outside the bank who was reluctant to exit the vehicle due to behaving of the defendant,” Senior Sergeant McKenzie said.
“Police approached the defendant, who was waving the stick and behaving aggressively. Police presented a Taser and directed the defendant to put the stick down.”

The 26-year-old obliged and threw the stick aside before he was arrested and taken to Palm Beach Police Station and charged with taking the groceries from IGA and public nuisance. He was issued with a notice to appear in court.

It wouldn’t be Rawlings’ last run-in with police. Just hours later at about 3.30am on June 7, Senior Sergeant McKenzie said officers were called by the manager of a holiday apartment tower in Coolangatta where Rawlings was creating a disturbance at the front entrance.
“The witness and her partner attended the foyer, observing an agitated male person yelling obscenities, holding two cut down tree branches – one in each hand – and violently banging on the external glass windows,” he told the court.

“The witness was in fear of the male’s violent behaviour, in fear of the windows being smashed and called triple-0 urgently requesting police to attend.”

Police attended and “seized” the tree branches which were still in Rawlings’ hands at the time, before he was arrested again and taken to Southport Watchhouse where he was charged and released on bail.

Rawlings’ solicitor Breannan Callaghan told the court her client had left his personal items on a bus earlier in the day and had no money to eat so he attended the IGA to get food.
He admitted to being under the influence during the incident at the supermarket and bank but offered no explanation for why he attended the holiday apartment tower and banged the tree branches on the windows.
Ms Callaghan said Rawling’s hadn’t worked for “a few years” and left his job in construction because he felt he was being “racially profiled” by other staff.

Police were later called to a holiday apartment highrise where Rawlings created another disturbance. Picture: Google.

In sentencing Magistrate Nerida Wilson appeared perplexed as to the cause of Rawlings’ offending.
“I don’t know what’s going on for you Mr Rawling.”

To which he interjected: “Struggle street, living on my own in Tweed Heads on the Gold Coast my whole life. Feelers out for housing multiple times, they turn a blind eye – case workers, social workers.”

Magistrate Wilson accepted the difficulties experienced by Rawlings, who had very little criminal history, which was also dated.

“Obviously life is very difficult” her honour said.

“You don’t have any fixed place of abode, you feel aggrieved at the fact that people aren’t responding to your calls and placing you in housing.

“But there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about being heard. There’s something more to this that probably isn’t fully explained today.”

Rawling interjected: “I represent my Indigenous heritage.”

He was convicted on all charges and placed on a three month good behaviour order and will have to forfeit recognisance of $500 if he reoffends.