Malachi Jordan Conway’s crime spree across Townsville, Rockhampton, Gladstone

This armed robber went on two Qld crime sprees covering more than 800km, frightening one “poor lady” so much she wet herself.

Malachi Jordan Conway.

A recidivist offender who went on two crime sprees across half of Queensland scared one of his victim’s so much she wet herself, a court heard.

Malachi Jordan Conway, 21, carried out two armed robberies and three burglaries and thefts between Townsville and Gladstone in 2022 and 2023 on top of a violent attempted robbery at Allenstown in the Rockhampton region.

He was sentenced for 19 charges in Gladstone District Court in February 2024 and received a five-year prison term, suspended after serving six months, for an operational period of five years.

Recently however, he fronted Rockhampton District Court for the violent Allenstown attempted robbery which happened the day before he was arrested by police at the end of the 2023 crime spree.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Keast said the victim was loading her shopping in her car in the underground car park at Allenstown Shopping Centre on November 15, 2023, when Conway ran towards her and tried to grab her car keys.

He said the victim was scared as Conway demanded her keys and she screamed for help many times.

“The defendant pulled her ring finger, causing pain,” Mr Keast said.

Malachi Jordan Conway.

The victim dropped the keys and Conway grabbed them and entered the car.

The victim then managed to flag down a man for help, and Conway fled without the car.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the victim was so scared by Conway that she wet herself.

“It must have been a thoroughly humiliating and degrading experience for the poor lady,” he said.

Mr Keast said Conway wasn’t charged for this offence until February 2024.

Conway’s crime spree in 2023 started in Townsville, and he was apprehended at Toolooa, Gladstone, about 2.13am on November 16, 2023.

Mr Keast said Conway, after his release from prison from the 2024 sentence, went on to steal a mobility scooter from an 88-year-old man who parked it outside a coffee shop, and he was sentenced for it in March, 2025.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said one of Conway’s brothers recently died and he planned to live in Bundaberg with his family.

He said his client completed Year 9 at Blackwater High School and then worked in labouring jobs such as fencing.

Judge Clarke said Conway’s criminal history, for a young person, was “quite bad”, and he “simply has to stop” offending or he’ll be returned to jail.

Conway pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery with violence and was sentenced to 141 days prison with 141 days presentence custody declared as time served and 117 undeclarable presentence custody taken into account.

The 12-months of the suspended sentence handed down in February 2024 was activated, leaving three and a half years remaining, and Conway was released immediately on parole.

Originally published as Malachi Jordan Conway’s crime spree across Townsville, Rockhampton, Gladstone