Eliot Wakeman jailed for crime spree across regional Qld

The 39-year-old Gympie man rammed a car from behind to “get away faster” during a spate of 20 crimes that spanned Pomona, Bundaberg, Noosa, Gladstone and Gympie.

A 39-year-old ex-mechanic will spend the first half of 2022 behind bars, after a three-day crime spree across regional Queensland, including one incident where he used a stolen car “as a weapon”.

Eliot Wakeman pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court via videolink on Tuesday, to 20 charges from between December 17-20, 2020 including stealing several cars, possessing ammunition without a licence and obstructing a police officer.

Wakeman was supported by one woman in the public gallery.

The court heard he committed his crimes in Bundaberg, Noosa, Gladstone Central and Gympie.

Eliot Wakeman went on a three day crime spree across regional south-east Queensland. Photo: Facebook.

The police prosecutor Michael Phillips said of the extensive list of offences, the worst was where Wakeman had used a stolen car “as a weapon” in Gympie and rammed the back of a car in front of him to get away quicker.

The court heard Wakeman was driving erratically and had overtaken other vehicles at speed, which forced drivers to take evasive action.

Eventually, Wakeman collided with a car in front of him, forcing the car to pull over.

Wakeman, however, drove off without exchanging details.

The court heard Wakeman then proceeded to drive in the wrong direction around a roundabout, before he crashed into a power pole and ran into a nearby backyard, where he was greeted by a sunbaking woman.

“She offered to call you an ambulance, but you refused, saying you were wanted by the police,” Magistrate Chris Callaghan said.

The woman then called the police and Wakeman was arrested.

Eliot Wakeman was busted by a sunbaking woman after he crashed his car. Photo: Facebook.

The court heard Wakeman had stolen several things during his spree, including fuel from Pomona, and a push bike.

Defence lawyer Tyronne Thomas said his client had spent most of his adult life behind bars, and had spent 330 days on remand for the charges before the court.

He said Wakeman was “getting too old for this type of behaviour”.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan described Wakeman’s crime spree as a “spate of offending”.

Wakeman was sentenced to 10 months behind bars with his time on remand declared as time served.

He will be released on parole on July 24, 2022.

Originally published as Eliot Wakeman jailed for crime spree across regional Qld