Bendigo man Declan Jones carjacked his own mother at gunpoint

A Bendigo man who carjacked his own mum at gunpoint didn’t want bail because prison was the first time in years he had three meals a day.

Bendigo man Declan Jones was released on bail to undergo residential rehabilitation after pleading guilty to car jacking. Picture: Savusia Konstantin

A Bendigo man who carjacked his own mum at gunpoint was quite happy to stay behind bars where he could enjoy three meals a day for the first time in years rather than be released on bail.

Declan Jones, 20, pleaded guilty at his arraignment in the Bendigo County Court on Friday to aggravated carjacking.

On July 9 last year Jones lured his mother from her workplace, telling her that her daughter was in trouble and they needed to help her before robbing her at gunpoint for her silver Mazda, the court heard.

Jones pointed the gun, which turned out to be fake, at her and said “give me your car. I’m sorry I have to do this. I don’t want to shoot you”, before taking off in the vehicle and leaving her on the side of the road “shaking and crying loudly”.

His Legal Aid barrister Karin Temperley applied for Jones to be released on bail so he could attend residential rehabilitation.

Jones initially did not want bail because he was “finally getting three meals a day and a roof over his head” after being homeless since the age of 16, Ms Temperley told the court.

Declan Jones carjacked his own mother at gunpoint in Bendigo.

After being remanded in custody, Jones discovered a “love of cooking and baking” and became quite popular with the other inmates at Ravenhall Correctional Centre who enjoyed his gastronomy.

He was inspired to pursue employment at a bakery and open his own food truck one day.

Ms Temperley argued Jones should be released to a residential rehabilitation program with a “fairly intense” 12 month regime to give him the best chance at turning his life around.

The prosecution opposed the move, arguing Jones had pleaded guilty to an offence with a mandatory minimum jail sentence of three years.

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Judge Richard Maidment said rehabilitation was an important factor in Jones’ circumstances and it would benefit the community to help the offender get his life back on track.

Judge Maidment found that Jones’ offending was “unusual” and indicated that he wasn’t in his right mind at the time, meeting the threshold for the court to make exceptions in a case with mandatory sentencing.

Jones will be sentenced in February 2026 to allow him to undergo rehab.