Lynton Lionel Leo in Rockhampton court for armed robbery

The victim of a violent carjacking at a unit complex in broad daylight was “hacked” at with a tomahawk and had his wrist sliced open, a court heard.

Lynton Lionel Leo.

The victim of a violent carjacking at a unit complex in broad daylight in Rockhampton was “hacked” at with a tomahawk and had his wrist sliced open, a court has heard.

The District Court in Rockhampton heard the 57-year-old man had parked his car outside his home at a unit complex on Upper Dawson Rd, Allenstown, about 10am on February 10, 2023 and was approached by Lynton Lionel Leo, 28, and his co-offender, Oren Thomas Davies, who was armed with a tomahawk.

Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen said Mr Davies demanded the victim’s car keys and snatched them from him.

Mr Theunissen said while Leo and Mr Davies tried to get into the victim’s car, the victim raised a metal grinder at the pair, demanding his keys back.

He said Mr Davies hacked the victim with his tomahawk, slicing open the man’s wrist, causing a 5cm laceration on his forearm.

“He bled heavily,” he said.

Mr Theunissen said Mr Davies threw the car keys to Leo and protected him while he tried to open the driver’s door.

He said Mr Davies pushed Leo inside the car and got into the back seat, while the victim’s friend, who was inside the car, got out. Leo struggled to start the car and the victim tried to pull him out.

Mr Theunissen said Mr Davies leapt out of the car and chased the victim away before running away himself. Leo continued to struggle to reverse the car.

Mr Theunissen said the victim yelled at Leo to get out of the car and hit the driver’s side window with a grinder, causing it to shatter.

He said Leo reversed out of the complex at high speed and onto the main road, driving over two lanes of traffic and forcing a car to stop suddenly.

The court heard Leo had never held a driver’s licence.

Lynton Lionel Leo. Picture: Facebook

Mr Theunissen said Leo drove off and left the car a short distance away on Church St, Allenstown, which the court heard was later recovered by the victim.

The court heard Leo was in breach of a suspended sentence and parole, having committed the offences less than three months after being released from custody.

He was sentenced in the District Court in Rockhampton in June 2022 to 15 months’ prison with parole release in November 2022 for burglary and common assault.

He was also sentenced to 12 months prison, suspended for two years, in Rockhampton Magistrates Court in July 2022 for two counts each of unlawful use of vehicles and possessing dangerous drugs, and one count of failing to appear in court.

He had been in custody for 350 days.

Mr Theunissen said Leo had “shown no ability to improve his behaviour”.

However, he said it was accepted that Leo was scared by Mr Davies at the time he aided him in the armed robbery, which was observed by the victim.

Defence barrister Maree Willey argued her client, who had fathered two children, had a lesser role in the armed robbery.

Ms Willey said her client could be seen on CCTV footage with other people at the unit complex who were attending to some mechanical work.

“My client has gone to the residence, not with the intention of robbing anybody,” she said.

“He was there speaking with people that were known to him.

“It was opportunistic, it was spontaneous.”

She said her client had returned to using drugs after he was released in November 2022.

Leo pleaded guilty on January 31 to one count each of armed robbery in company with wounding, unlawful use of a vehicle, dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced him to three years prison with parole eligibility on April 23, 2024.

Judge Clarke activated the 12-month suspended prison sentence and ordered it to be served at the same time.

Leo was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Mr Davies pleaded guilty in the District Court in Rockhampton on February 9 to one count of unlawful wounding, one of burglary, two of robbery in company with violence, two unlawful use of motor vehicles, one of assaulting a police officer and one of obstructing police.

His sentencing proceedings were part heard with Judge Jeff Clarke to hand down his sentence on February 22.

Originally published as Lynton Lionel Leo in Rockhampton court for armed robbery