Tasmania’s bizarre cases: 10 of the strangest cases that appeared in court
From a man who went on a public masturbation spree through Hobart to a romantic who trashed a cafe for his Valentine, here are 10 of the most shocking and bizarre cases to have gone through Tasmanian courts in the last year. SEE THE LIST
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When it comes to Tasmania’s court system, there’s no such thing as a typical day. Over the past year, judges and magistrates across the island have dealt with cases ranging from the crude to the shocking, to the downright bizarre. From a man who went on a public masturbation spree to a police raid looking for meth stuffed in a toy koala, to a jealous bloke who torched an erotic massage parlour, here are 10 of the strangest Tasmanian cases over the past year that have found their ways into the halls of justice.
Public masturbator told charity shop worker “I just need you to look at it”
Sentenced September 2021
Sean Patrick Mahoney, 31, went on a spree of public masturbation across Hobart between March and September 2020, but has no memory of his lewd crimes.
His spate of obscenity began on March 28 that year at the Moonah Dental Centre, where he asked to use the toilets – but masturbated with the door partially open while watching the reception area in the mirror.
On September 4, a woman was walking through Wellington Court in Hobart, seeing Mahoney inside the male public toilets with his trousers undone, masturbating.
He looked at her and winked.
A few days later, he loitered in the foyer of the Centrepoint Shopping Centre.
As a woman walked from the car park, Mahoney jumped so he was facing her, with his trousers undone and masturbating.
Less than 10 minutes later, another woman witnessed Mahoney masturbating next to a phone box as he stared at her.
Horribly, later the same day, Mahoney masturbated at a 13-year-old girl at the St David’s Park toilets, attempting to follow her into a cubicle.
On September 10, Mahoney made eye contact with a female customer at New Town Woolworths with his underwear exposed, taking personal lubricant from a shelf, then masturbating at the checkout.
The same morning, he entered St Vincent de Paul in North Hobart, masturbating at the staff member and telling her “look at it, I just need you to look at it” before walking around the store until he ejaculated.
In her published comments on passing sentence, Supreme Court judge Helen Wood said Mahoney suffered mental health problems, including lack of impulse control, reduced cognition and impaired memory, and that he believed his troubles stemmed from head injuries suffered in a serious car accident and when he was the victim of major assault.
He pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecency and was jailed for 14 months on top of six months’ prison for other offending, with the final eight months suspended.
Man buried partner at home with modified wheelbarrow
Sentenced March 2022
One of the more unusual Tasmanian cases in recent times is that of Olaf Vennik – a man in his 70s living in a tiny rural community on the island’s east coast who “informally” but illegally buried his partner at home.
According to police, when Vennik’s partner Soo “Susie” Lan Chuah died, he dragged her body onto a modified wheelbarrow, placed her in a shallow unmarked hole and covered her over with sand.
As the case wound its way through court, it was revealed the Malaysian national had arrived in Tasmania in 2018, living with Vennik in a caravan on his sister’s property.
But the 65-year-old became ill with mouth cancer, with Vennik caring for her until her death in August 2020.
It was her dying wish to be buried at the property she lived at with her partner.
Vennik pleaded guilty to unlawfully disposing of human remains and failing an obligation to report a death, and was fined $1600.
Man jailed for “bizarre, inexplicable” Bridgewater McDonald’s drive-thru shooting
Sentenced February 2022
A young McDonald’s drive-thru attendant still has flashbacks about the night she nearly died when Lee Mark Phillips shot a gun through the window.
It was after midnight on May 29, 2021, when Phillips left his home with a 12-gauge sawn-off shotgun, and tried to force his way into the Bridgewater McDonald’s.
The 35-year-old, wearing a balaclava, walked into the drive-thru, tapping on the window with the shotgun.
A 26-year-old female staff member was cleaning behind the counter at the time, and was less than a metre away when Phillips held up the gun and discharged it.
While sentencing, Justice Stephen Estcourt described the crime as “bizarre and almost inexplicable”, noting the McDonald’s employee still had flashbacks about the night in question.
Phillips pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, possessing a stolen firearm, recklessly discharging a firearm, possessing a shortened firearm and ammunition, and possessing a dangerous article.
He was sentenced to an 18-month home detention order.
Teenager’s mum joined in assault of Rav4 driver
Sentenced March 2022
It was bad enough when 19-year-old Bryce Lewis Startup – riding his trail bike – cornered a Rav4 driver on the road, punching his face and shattering his windscreen.
But it beggars belief that Startup’s mum arrived and “joined in” the assault.
While wearing his motorcycle gloves, Startup punched the man twice in the face, then punched his windscreen – shattering the glass.
An off-duty police officer witnessed the events, attempting to intervene, but when he told Startup to stop, he got back on his bike and rode away at high speed.
He pleaded guilty to a number of charges arising from the day in question – September 29, 2021 – and was sentenced to a 12 months community corrections order, 49 hours of community service, and a $1730 fine.
Woman stole almost $1 million to play Facebook gambling game that had no prizes
Sentenced December 2021
A Sandy Bay woman lost everything when she became addicted to a Facebook game called Heart of Vegas, an electronic poker machine using virtual coins or credits.
Even though her winnings couldn’t be redeemed for real money, Rachel Naomi Perri got hooked.
Between 2016 and 2019, Perri stole $940,221.47 from Tasmanian Veterinary Services at Bellerive while working there as a practice manager.
Perri pleaded guilty to 25 counts of computer-related fraud and one count of fraud, and was jailed for six years, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years.
Earlier this year, Perri failed in an appeal against the length of her jail term, with her lawyer arguing she suffered from a gambling disorder of “extreme magnitude” that reduced her moral culpability.
Man threatened to chop off cab driver’s head with kitchen knife
Sentenced March 2021
It was described as a “somewhat bizarre” crime by a Supreme Court judge.
A young homeless man, Jack Dean Grant, got into a cab on Liverpool Street with three other men, asking to be dropped off at a Rosny bottle shop.
When the cab arrived, only Grant remained as a passenger.
The 25-year-old held a large kitchen knife to the driver’s neck, demanding all his money and threatening to “chop his head off”.
When police arrived, Grant said he’d just been “mucking around”.
Man used stolen credit card to buy $2000 ‘El Chapo’ barber’s chair
Sentenced March 2022
A refugee from a war-torn country began sliding into the “periphery of society”.
Arif Ali Mohamed-Gamar, 26, struggled to assimilate into Tasmania after tough beginnings in a refugee camp.
In early 2020, he began speaking with a person simply known as “Ayoup” – who was a “kind of broker” who could get items at cheaper prices, but who apparently did so through fraudulent credit card transactions.
The first item Mohamed-Gamar sourced through Ayoup was an El Chapo barber’s chair – an item worth $2340 including shipping, but for which he only paid $800.
He also sourced a number of other items through this method, including a tyre changer, an impact wrench kit, and a Makita compound saw.
In his published comments on passing sentence, Supreme Court judge Stephen Estcourt said Mohamed-Gamar dealt with $6885.99 worth of property.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of dealing with property believed to be the proceeds of crime, and one count of attempting to commit the crime.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community correction order.
Serial firebug trashed cafe for flowers to give to his Valentine
To be sentenced May 2022
Christopher Luke Finn had been on a fire-lighting spree through Hobart when romance struck.
About 11pm on February 15 last year, Finn said he was “blind drunk” when he was in the courtyard of Coterie & Co – a cafe in Hobart’s CBD.
He upturned a number of tables before setting a cafe umbrella on fire, doing $350 worth of damage.
Finn also pulled up plants from the cafe to give to the woman he was with, “because it was Valentine’s Day”.
As part of the spree, Finn also torched some agapanthus outside the Glenorchy Council Chambers, and also set fire to some scrub near New Town High School.
The 32-year-old has pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawfully setting fire to property, two counts of common assault, disorderly conduct and other charges.
He will be sentenced in the Hobart Magistrates Court in May.
Soft toy koala allegedly stuffed with large stash of meth
Sentenced April 2022
A young woman and owner of a popular Launceston business came face-to-face with the law when she was found in possession of a stolen, sawn-off shotgun with the serial number filed off.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was raided by Tasmania Police in August 2020, with officers hunting for a soft toy koala.
They believed the fluffy object had been stuffed with 28 grams of methamphetamine, but that the drug had likely been substituted for an inert substance and sent to her address.
Police not only found the toy koala inside her home, but also ammunition stuffed inside a couch cushion, in a ziplock bag on top of an air-fryer, and inside a safe in her bedroom wardrobe.
The woman was found guilty of four charges relating to the gun, while her partner is expected to face trial over drug trafficking charges.
Launceston magistrate Sharon Cure said she believed the woman engaged in wilful “blindness” as to what was allegedly going on under her nose.
The woman was fined $2500 but avoided conviction.
Jealous man torched erotic massage parlour “Studio 152”
Sentenced April 2022
Liam James Dougherty apparently had a run-in with the green-eyed monster when he took to Studio 152 in Launceston.
Disguising his face and armed with a container of petrol and a hammer, the 31-year-old believed his ex-girlfriend was working at the erotic massage parlour.
Dougherty used the hammer to prise open the shutters on the business, pouring fuel inside and setting fire to it with a cloth he lit with a cigarette lighter.
He caused a “considerable” amount of damage – to the tune of $35,000.
The blaze was extinguished when police officers driving past spotted it, putting a section of the fire out before a brigade arrived.
Dougherty pleaded guilty to one count of arson, dating back to the November 2020 incident, and was jailed for 18 months, with a non-parole period of one year.
More Coverage
Everybody appearing at Hobart Magistrates Court, Tuesday, February 11
Here is a list of people appearing at Hobart Magistrates Court on February 11.
Seven people charged during Party in the Paddock festival
Police were out in force for the Party in the Paddock festival, putting in a finale effort through a road safety operation. The results.