Thomas Hyde in court over ugly incident on anniversary of brother Josh’s alleged murder

A North Queenslander mourning the alleged murder of his brother was saved from self-harm before sending a Sunshine Coast hospital into a partial lock-down.

Thomas Hyde outside the Ingham Magistrates Court on Thursday after the teenager was handed a lengthy suspended jail sentence for two counts of serious assault of a police officer in relation to the incident at Forrest Beach on September 29. Picture: Cameron Bates

A North Queensland man who was saved from self-harm at a Sunshine Coast train station on the fourth anniversary of his brother’s alleged murder later sent a hospital into partial lock-down after abusing and racially vilifying staff.

Notorious repeat public menace Thomas Hyde, 20, pleaded guilty in the Ingham Magistrates Court to possessing a knife in public and committing a public nuisance during the latest ugly ordeal on September 9, 2024.

Queensland Police Service prosecutor Kimberley Rogers-Ford tendered the court Hyde’s extensive criminal history, which included the full range of sentencing options, namely probation, community service, suspended prison sentences and time served in custody.

She said QPS were called to the Beerwah Train Station on Simpson Street after a report that the defendant was using the knife to “self-harm”.

“When the public tried to intervene, he became abusive and aggressive … the defendant was observed to be intoxicated by police, he had a laceration to his mid-forearm.”

Thomas Hyde leaving the Ingham Magistrates Court after the young man was handed a lengthy suspended jail sentence for two counts of serious assault of a police officer in relation to an incident at Forrest Beach. Picture: Cameron Bates

Ms Rogers-Ford said police could not find the knife, although a member of the public said they had removed the knife from the scene to “stop the defendant from harming himself”.

She said police took Hyde to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Birtinya for a medical and mental-health assessment.

“About 6.12pm, Mr Hyde began yelling and swearing, he was referring to paramedics and hospital staff as c---s, he was warned three times in the hospital, he had to be moved away from staff and other persons to minimise his disruption.”

Ms Rogers-Ford said that following another incident, the defendant was moved away from staff to a corridor “where security had to restrict staff access due to his behaviour”.

“He’s then started calling people n-----s and a paramedic of African descent who was assisting the defendant took particular offence.”

Joshua Hyde, 20, was allegedly fatally stabbed in Ingham in 2021. The case is still before the courts four years later. Picture: Supplied

Ms Rogers-Ford said that at the time of the latest offending, a mentally unwell and intoxicated Hyde was on parole after release from prison.

She said she was prosecutor when Hyde was jailed in October 2023 after police officers were forced to risk their lives to save the defendant from being run over by a truck on the Bruce Highway.

The Hinchinbrook man, formerly from Ayr, was jailed after pleading guilty to 11 charges from three major incidents between May 11 and September 11.

The charges included three counts of public nuisance, two of obstruct police officer, two of obstruct police officer under the influence, possession of a knife in a public place and assaulting a police officer.

A magistrate has also previously praised police for avoiding using “lethal force” when threatened by the then axe-wielding teenager.

Caleb Rutherford has been charged with the alleged murder of Josh Hyde four years ago, with the case still dragging before the courts. Rutherford has previously indicated that he is contesting the charges. Picture: Matt Taylor

Ms Rogers-Ford said the defendant had an appalling history of arming himself with a knife and threatening or assaulting emergency service personnel, including paramedics and police.

“Mr Hyde in no way, shape or form needs to be a person who is arming himself with a knife, he is a danger to himself (and) a continuing risk to the public.”

Ms Rogers-Ford urged jail.

Queensland Corrective Services told the court that it had elected not to breach Hyde for his parole violations, adding that the defendant had returned a negative result during a recent drug test.

“He’s been going really well on his parole,” a QCS representative said of his rehabilitation.

Defence lawyer Margaret Crowther argued forcefully against a custodial sentence, saying his client had been battling a number of mental-health issues.

“This particular event occurred on the anniversary of his brother’s death, who was (allegedly) murdered four years ago in Ingham.”

Thomas Hyde, 18, the brother of Josh Hyde who died after an alleged stabbing in Ingham in January 2021, appeared in the Ingham Magistrates Court on Thursday. Hyde sparked a major police emergency in a “bizarre” attempt to be sent to a North Queensland jail where he hoped to get revenge for the alleged murder, a court was told. Picture: Cameron Bates

Ingham man Caleb William Robert Rutherford was charged with murder in 2021 after 20-year-old Josh Hyde was allegedly fatally stabbed.

The case has been plagued by delays and is currently before the courts, with Rutherford previously indicating he will fight the charge.

Ms Crowther said Hyde had since re-engaged with mental-health services, was “back on track with his rehabilitation” and had not offended since the incident last year.

Hyde was convicted, fined $1000 and warned that if he was caught in possession of a knife again, it was likely to end in repeat jail time.

Originally published as Thomas Hyde in court over ugly incident on anniversary of brother Josh’s alleged murder