7 people face Bundaberg court under new anti-hooning laws

Social media influencers with 12,000 followers were among seven people charged with promoting hooning activity as part of new laws in Queensland, including a beach party that led to a teenager being flown to hospital with critical injuries. One said ‘bring beers, be a menace’.

Seven people were charged with promoting hooning on social media including a beach party that led to people being flown to hospital with critical injuries.

They are among the first in Queensland to be prosecuted under new laws.

Documents tendered in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday, December 22 stated that a large beach party on Kinkuna Beach had been promoted on social media as a “bushdoof” before the event on the weekend of June 30 – July 2, 2023.

The court documents stated that police responded to two serious rollover traffic crashes at the illegal gathering which required people to be flown to hospital with critical injuries, and which led to an ongoing police operation targeting hooning activity at Kinkuna and Coonar beaches.

Police were aware that Kinkuna beach was frequently used as a location in which to commit hooning offences due its relatively remote location, and complaints are regularly received from people living nearby regarding excessive noise, music and fireworks coming from the beach “almost every weekend”, the document stated.

The following defendants appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday, December 22:

Joel Justin McKinlay

Joel Justin McKinlay promoted the "bushdoof" through his well-subscribed social media accounts which led to ‘a large gathering of hoons’ attending the Kinkuna event.

Joel Justin McKinlay pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence related to his promotion of the “bushdoof” through his Instagram account.

The court heard McKinlay, 21, works full-time as a plumber, but has several social media accounts with more than 12,000 followers through which he shares 4WD videos and other posts promoting businesses supplying 4WD accessories.

Police documents stated McKinlay posted a video on June 1 promoting the “bushdoof” with tags including “Kuna beach, bring beers, be a menace, see yas there, X2 DJs!”.

The documents state that as a result of his posts “a large gathering of hoons” were attracted to the “bushdoof” later that month.

McKinlay’s defence lawyer told the court her client understood that the terminology he used would have “potentially encouraged some of the poor behaviour that occurred that night”, and “he certainly is well aware now that with the amount of followers that he has, that he’s actually quite influential”.

The court heard McKinlay was not aware of the new legislation making it unlawful to promote hooning activity.

McKinlay was fined $800, with no convictions recorded.

Zara Tyne Mander

Influencer Zara Mander posted a compilation of videos to her Instagram and TikTok accounts showing hooning activity at the Kinkuna "bushdoof".

Zara Tyne Mander, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting a compilation of videos to her Instagram and TikTok accounts showing vehicles hooning at the “bushdoof” with the tag “if it ain’t like this don’t invite me”.

Mander, a farmhand living on the Gold Coast, was fined $350 with no convictions recorded.

Tayne Jessica Richardson

Tayne Richardson posted videos to her TikTok account depicting hooning activity at the Kinkuna "bushdoof".

Tayne Jessica Richardson, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting a compilation of videos to her TikTok account on July 3 showed numerous vehicles performing dangerous skids on the beach at the Kinkuna “bushdoof”.

Richardson was sentenced to a $500 good behaviour bond for 12 months, with no convictions recorded.

Alijah James Mason

Alijah Mason posted videos to his TikTok account showing hooning activity in Bundaberg and the Kinkuna "bushdoof".

Alijah James Mason pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting videos to his TikTok account showing hooning behaviour in the Bundaberg suburb of Kensington, a location which police prosecutor Sgt Carl Spargo told the court was another known hooning spot, in addition to other videos showing hooning at the Kinkuna “bushdoof”.

The court heard the “bushdoof” videos showed people hanging out of the passenger window of a 4WD, and Mason’s own vehicle doing burnouts on the beach during the day.

Mason, who works full time as a scaffolder and driving heavy vehicles, was fined $900 with no convictions recorded.

Caleb Seth Lawrence

Caleb Seth Lawrence, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting a video of a small vehicle performing a burnout in reverse on Kinkuna Beach.

Lawrence, an apprentice boilermaker, was fined $400 with no convictions recorded.

Joel Hardy Brack

Joel Brack pleaded guilty to posting a compilation of videos depicting illegal hooning activity at the Kinkuna "bushdoof".

Joel Hardy Brack, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting a compilation of videos on July 4 depicting hooning activity at the “bushdoof”.

Brack, a night fill worker, was fined $500 with no convictions recorded.

Star-Maree Sheehan

Star-Maree Sheehan was charged with one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence.

Star-Maree Sheehan was charged with one count of unlawful promotion for racing, burn out, or other hooning offence for posting video depicting hooning activity outside a Branyan funeral home.

Ms Sheehan’s matter was adjourned to January 29 to enable her to take legal advice.

It is not suggested that Ms Sheehan has been charged with promoting the Kinkuna “bushdoof” on June 30 – July 2, 2023.

Originally published as 7 people face Bundaberg court under new anti-hooning laws