Jordan Thomas Riley, 21, sentenced to drug treatment order after Ravenswood carjacking

A young man who made a living by reselling cars has lost the “biggest interest” of his life and has become a recluse after he was carjacked and threatened by a Tasmanian crim who became hooked on meth at 16. Why the judge gave him a chance.

Jordan Thomas Riley, 21, pleaded guilty to counts of carjacking, stealing and driving while not the holder of a licence after stealing a Subaru Liberty at Ravenswood on November 28, 2022.

A young man who made a living by reselling cars has lost the “biggest interest” of his life and has become a recluse after he was carjacked and threatened to be shot by a Tasmanian crim who became hooked on meth at 16.

Jordan Thomas Riley, 21, pleaded guilty to and was sentenced this month to charges of carjacking, stealing and driving while not the holder of a licence over the November 28, 2022 incident.

In a published decision of his sentencing, handed down by Acting Justice Porter, the court was told that on that day, Angus Seadon and his friend Michael O’Connor went to a Ravenswood property to look at a motorcycle.

Mr Seadon had driven his mother’s 2002 Subaru Liberty to the property, and had hoped to swap the motorbike for one of his own.

Both he and Mr O’Connor did not know the people they were going to meet.

Jordan Thomas Riley, 21, pleaded guilty to counts of carjacking, stealing and driving while not the holder of a licence after stealing a Subaru Liberty at Ravenswood on November 28, 2022.

Two men were at the property when they arrived, and after a short while, Riley and a woman came out of the house and started talking to Mr O’Connor, who was inside the Subaru.

Mr Seadon decided he didn’t want to go ahead with the swap and went to leave, when Riley stopped him and said the Subaru was a “nice car” and that it would “skid well”.

Riley then lifted up his jumper and gestured towards his waistband, implying he was hiding a firearm, before asking Mr Seadon if he wanted to “get f*****g shot”.

He then pointed at Mr O’Connor in the car and told him to get out, and threatened to shoot him.

Acting Justice Porter accepted Riley did not actually have a weapon on him at the time, but the threat scared Mr Seadon so much that he became scared for his life, and vomited as Riley jumped in the Subaru and drove away.

Seadon ran away and later called police at a local store.

Riley was spotted on CCTV later that night filling up the car with petrol at a service station, and he left without paying.

The car was found the next day, and when Riley was eventually arrested two weeks later he denied all knowledge of the carjacking.

Jordan Thomas Riley, 21.

Mr Seadon in his victim impact statement said the terrifying incident had “ruined the biggest interest in his life”, which was buying and selling cars and motorcycles – which he made an income from.

“He does not feel safe and is worried that [he] might be getting set up,” Acting Justice Porter said.

Mr Seadon was said to have become more of a recluse after the incident, rarely going out.

Riley, who the court heard had started using cannabis at 11 and meth at 16, had previously been sentenced to offending after the carjacking, and was currently serving time behind bars.

Previous attempts at sobriety had been derailed after the death of his grandfather, and miscarriages suffered by his partner.

Acting Justice Porter said Riley had been “heavily affected” by drugs on the day of the carjacking, and that it had been a “spontaneous opportunistic” act, and that he was remorseful.

Acting Justice Porter said it was appropriate to make a drug treatment order despite Riley’s past failure to complete them.

“I will give you a chance,” Acting Justice Porter said.

He was ordered to complete a drug treatment order, and was sentenced to 18 months jail which he will serve if he breaches the order.