Wade Patrick Kavanagh: Gold Coast gunpoint robbery spree sentenced

A man whose robbery spree forced multiple people to face the barrel of a gun has been sentenced after claiming voices instructed him to commit the crimes. READ WHAT HAPPENED HERE

Wade Patrick Kavanagh, 27, was sentenced by the Southport District Court for a string of offences including armed robbery. Picture: Facebook

A man whose robbery spree on the Gold Coast saw multiple people being threatened with a gun, and ended with him being bitten by a police dog, has been sentenced.

Wade Patrick Kavanagh, 27, appeared in Southport District Court via videolink from custody on April 9 when he pleaded guilty to a raft of changes.

They included: two counts of burglary, one count of armed robbery with personal violence, two counts armed robbery and two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle to facilitate or commission of an indictable offence.

Judge Katarina Prskalo KC accepted Kavanagh was remorseful and had prospects of rehabilitation, sentencing him to eight years imprisonment.

However, taking into account time Kavanagh has already spent in pre-sentence custody, he will be eligible for parole on October 13.

The court heard Kavanagh’s string of offences began when he robbed the home of a man he knew on September 1, 2023.

Kavanagh arrived at the address with an associate waiting in a car for him before he took $650 cash, the homeowner’s phone and an electric bike charger from the property.

During the robbery, Kavanagh drew a handgun from his waistband, pointed it at the man and a tenant and said “Don’t think I won’t f**king shoot you, c**t”.

On a second occasion, Kavanagh produced a handgun from his tracksuit pants after asking a man at a Southport address for a glass of water on the evening on October 14, 2023.

Kavanagh did not know this man.

He asked for cash but when the man said he didn’t have any, Kavanagh took his phone and the key to the man’s Ford Ranger.

He drove away from the property in the man’s car before parking in an Elanora car park by 7pm that night.

Kavanagh revealed the handgun to motorcyclist who was parked around three metres away from the Ranger.

The court heard Kavanagh waved the gun, told the man to “get off your bike and run”, and continued to point the gun as the man walked away.

Kavanagh got out of the Ranger and drove way on the motorbike

The court heard Kavanagh drove on the wrong side of the road as police attempted to apprehend him before crashing into a police car and making off on foot.

While running, Kavanagh tried to abandon evidence including throwing the handgun over a railing where it landed near commercial bins and shop workers, and another gun that discharged.

Kavanagh ran into a front yard and hid in a bush however a police dog was able to locate him and bit his left forearm.

The court heard Kavanagh has spent 543 days in pre-sentence custody for the offence, as well as other charges.

His defence barrister James Grehan, instructed by Hannay Lawyers, said circumstances led his client to go on this ‘bender’.

The court heard Kavanagh was raised by his aunt and uncle, before his life spun out control after the latter’s death.

Mr Grehan said it was his client’s first lengthy period in prison which has had a significant deterrent effect on him.

He said Kavanagh had mental health conditions including post traumatic stress disorder.

The court heard Kavanagh said he was acting on instructional voices which a pre-sentencing report says was likely due to a drug-induced psychosis.