Ashliegh Meagan Lawton sentenced at Dalby District Court after she degloved elderly man in horror carjacking

A woman’s own lawyer has labelled her client’s actions as ‘absolutely bizarre’ after she carjacked a 94-year-old man who was on his way to play golf, dragging him along a Western Downs highway, before biting two police officers.

The horrific carjacking of an elderly man who was trying to assist a woman on a Western Downs highway, progressed into a shocking series of offences that ended with the woman biting two police officers during a scuffle.

Ashliegh Meagan Lawton appeared at Dalby District Court on July 19 after she committed a string of bizarre crimes in Tara.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Wilkins told the court on October 13, 2022 the woman flagged down a 94-year-old man, who was driving to golf at Chinchilla, and asked if she could use his phone.

When the man obliged and took the key from the ignition before retrieving his phone, the court was told the 35-year-old woman said “please don’t do that”.

Mr Wilkins said the man thought nothing of it and put the key back in the car.

“She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the car,” Mr Wilkins said.

“He landed on the bitumen and was dragged a short distance by her, before she got into the car.”

It was during this assault the woman “degloved” the elderly man and left him with cuts to his eyelids, nose and forehead.

Ashliegh Meagan Lawton faced Dalby District Couty on July 19,2023. Picture: Facebook

The court was told some time later, the woman ditched the car and hopped into the vehicle of another man.

“While she was on the phone in the new car, she was telling the person on the phone she had been kidnapped,” Mr Wilkins said.

The new driver, who the court was told became wary of the conversation, started to slow down when the woman jumped out of the moving car near the Tara Hospital where the original good Samaritan was currently being treated.

Mr Wilkins said the woman entered the hospital telling front desk staff that she had been “kidnapped”, to which the employees realised she had been the woman who assaulted the elderly man earlier on.

Police were called where there was 22-minute struggle between the woman and the arresting officers.

“She bit the first officer on the pinky finger, then the second officer on his thumb, index and pointer finger,” Mr Wilkins said.

The court was told the woman tested positive for hepatitis C.

Lawton was sedated by hospital staff, and arrested where she has spent a total of 272 days in custody.

Defence barrister Frank Martin labelled the woman’s tirade as “bizarre” and said she had a history of drug and alcohol use.

“It has the hallmarks of a drug-induced psychosis,” he said.

“She only drove a short distance and abandoned the car before getting into another car. Then tells the hospital she’s been kidnapped. It’s absolutely bizarre behaviour.”

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC acknowledged the woman’s drug problem as she sat via videolink crying.

“Sitting there sober not addled by drugs, it probably sounds like these proceedings relate to someone you can’t identify with,” he said.

“Now that you are clean of drugs there is hope, you shouldn’t be giving up on that.”

He acknowledged the woman’s history, saying she had been convicted of serious assault of a police officer in August 2021.

“The injury to the victim’s hand is confronting, and even though he may have recovered physically it will be long lasting. His life has been changed dramatically by this event.”

Mr Horneman-Wren said he acknowledged the 272 days she had spent in custody but did not declare it as time served.

Lawton pleaded guilty to one count of robbery using violence, one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and two counts of serious assault.

She was sentenced to 33 months’ jail, with a parole release date of October 17.

Originally published as Ashliegh Meagan Lawton sentenced at Dalby District Court after she degloved elderly man in horror carjacking