Axle Glenn Ferris pleads guilty in Toowoomba District Court to armed robbery of Uber driver

The 21-year-old, who was already on parole, was with a mate when the pair robbed an Uber driver of his car at knifepoint, before crashing the car into a phone box.

One of two men who robbed an Uber driver of his car at knifepoint has been jailed for three years.

Axle Glenn Ferris, 21, and a male co-offender, who has not been identified, were at a Newtown unit complex about 4pm, April 26, when the Uber driver made a delivery to a neighbouring unit, Toowoomba District Court was told.

After Ferris said “there’s a car there”, his associate took out a knife and demanded the keys from the driver as he returned to his car, Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told the court.

While his co-offender drove off in the car, Ferris had run off but was picked up by his mate in the stolen car not far away, she said.

Axle Glenn Ferris, 21, pleaded guilty in Toowoomba District Court to armed robbery in company.

The pair drove the car around for a while before crashing it into a phone box and abandoning it, Ms Coley said.

Police investigating the matter later that evening saw Ferris arrive back at the units, telling police he had been at his mother’s home.

However, CCTV camera footage from the unit complex identified Ferris as running away at the time of the robbery, Ms Coley said.

When spoken to later by police, Ferris made admissions to being at the robbery, she said.

The court was told Ferris was subject to parole and a suspended sentence at the time.

Ms Coley said though the victim had not made a victim impact statement, the incident would have been “particularly frightening” for a vulnerable person such as an Uber driver.

Judge Bernard Porter KC said adding to the complainant man’s woes was that he had lost his car.

Axle Glenn Ferris appeared before Toowoomba District Court on December 8, 2022, to plead guilty to armed robbery in company.

“I assume Mr Ferris doesn’t have any money as I note there is no offer to pay compensation,” he said.

Ms Coley said Ferris had since spent 207 days in custody but much of that was serving out his previous jail term and only 46 days could be declared as time served.

Ferris pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company and unlawfully using a motor vehicle.

His barrister Jens Streit said his client was still young and since being in custody had completed a number of courses to better himself and had his name down for a drug rehabilitation course.

Ferris had become involved with drugs while still at school and at the time of this offending he was affected by ice, he said.

Upon his release from jail, Ferris intended relocating to the Gold Coast where his brother would hopefully find him work as a brickie’s labourer, said.

“He wanted to move away from Toowoomba and move away from old associates,” Mr Streit said.

Judge Bernard Porter KC described the robbery as “tragic” and “pathetic”.

Judge Porter described the offending as “pathetic” and “tragic”.

“It’s pathetic because it was is one of the most hairbrained schemes I’ve seen and tragic because, although we don’t have a victim impact statement, this young man has had his car damaged and been subject to a frightening robbery at knifepoint while going about his business in the afternoon in Toowoomba.

“It’s a very serious offence.”

Judge Porter sentenced Ferris to three years in jail but, declaring 46 days as time served, ordered he be eligible to apply for release on parole as of July 22, 2023.