Luke Gentry-Pike sentenced for violent Qld fuel depot carjacking
A meth-head’s decision to pump diesel into a petrol-powered stolen car soon made him the butt of the joke for more reasons than one.
Police & Courts
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A meth and heroin addict who committed a series of crimes including a violent carjacking of a worker at a Queensland fuel depot, has been sentenced.
Luke Douglas Gentry-Pike, 28, pleaded guilty in Gladstone District Court to numerous offences including robbery with violence, unlawful use of motor vehicle, stealing, possessing dangerous drugs, drug driving and disqualified driving.
The court heard Gentry-Pike, who had abused methamphetamine and heroin for “many years”, left a mental health ward at Ipswich in March last year.
Part of Gentry-Pike’s offending involved him handing a bag containing 0.2g of methamphetamine to a nurse and asking if she “wanted to do a deal.”
Shortly after Gentry-Pike left the mental health ward, he carried out a frightening carjacking of a man who was working at a fuel depot at Underwood, Logan.
The man had finished an afternoon shift and returned to the depot late at night.
When he arrived there, he saw Gentry-Pike sitting on a deck chair.
Gentry-Pike lied and said he was a “contract cleaner” which the man didn’t believe.
When Gentry-Pike asked “for a lift”, the man declined to give him one, saying he “just wanted to get home.”
The man went to the lunch room to collect some things and then walked to his car, a 2021 Toyota HiLux Workmate ute.
He sat in the driver’s seat and then Gentry-Pike tapped on the passenger side window.
After the man wound down the window, Gentry-Pike said he was going to “take the car” and he opened the passenger side door.
Gentry-Pike then “launched himself” towards the man and with one hand grabbed his shoulder, and with the other hand, punched him in the face several times.
A scuffle followed inside the car as the man tried to fight back.
The man tried reaching for his keys but he wasn’t able to grab them, and he got out of the vehicle.
Gentry-Pike also got out and then punched the man several more times before the latter said: “Just take the car.”
Gentry-Pike did that and he drove off, all the way to Gladstone.
The next morning, Gentry-Pike stole fuel from a Bororen service station – but he stuffed up because he used diesel and it was an unleaded car.
After a while, the engine seized to the point it was inoperable.
Gentry-Pike walked back to the servo and asked for a tow-truck to be called.
Ultimately, he ended up in the Gladstone Police watch-house.
Police found meth which belonged to Gentry-Pike in the car, and they also found the carjacking victim’s mobile phone which Gentry-Pike had used to make several calls.
The discoveries didn’t end there – police found a bag containing 0.3g of meth concealed in Gentry-Pike’s buttocks.
Checks also revealed that Gentry-Pike’s driver’s licence was disqualified by a court and he was a repeat unlicensed driver.
The court further heard that Gentry-Pike admitted to police that he had used meth before driving the stolen car and he subsequently tested positive to that drug.
Judge Jeff Clarke described it as “a serious example” of a carjacking offence and said Gentry-Pike’s criminal and traffic histories were “simply appalling.”
Barrister Julie Marsden made submissions for Gentry-Pike and said he had been complying with bail conditions, getting counselling for his mental health, and he was on medication for his drug abuse problem.
Judge Clarke told Gentry-Pike: “Ms Marsden has said all that could possibly be said for you.”
The court heard that Gentry-Pike was receiving Centrelink benefits and he hoped to eventually return to work as an apprentice diesel fitter.
Gentry-Pike’s mother was in court for his sentencing on February 27 to support him.
Judge Clarke sentenced Gentry-Pike to four years’ jail and set parole eligibility for August 27, 2024.
Gentry-Pike was also disqualified from driving for three years.
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Originally published as Luke Gentry-Pike sentenced for violent Qld fuel depot carjacking
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