Patrick Charles Curbishley sentenced for his role in decade-old aggravated armed robbery

A Tasmanian man who skipped bail and gained employment at an interstate legal service has been sentenced for a violent crime he committed more than 10 years ago. CASE DETAILS >>

A NORTHERN Tasmanian man has been sentenced for a violent crime he committed more than 10 years ago after he absconded court and moved interstate.

Patrick Charles Curbishley, 34, appeared in the Supreme Court in Launceston before Justice Robert Pearce on Monday. He had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated armed robbery.

The crime was committed on November 2, 2009, when he was aged 23.

The court heard at about 7.30pm that night, Curbishley and a youth, who cannot be named, went to the home of a young couple and their 10-month-old daughter in Rocherlea.

Once inside, the youth grabbed the male resident and demanded money, guns or drugs, while holding a knife against the victim’s neck and eye.

Curbishley helped gather things to steal, including $360 in cash, 20 ornamental knives, some of which were antique, an Xbox and controller, 15 Xbox games and two shotguns.

Before leaving, the youth threatened to kill the victims if the police were notified.

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The court heard Curbishley was arrested a few days later and, when interviewed by police, he admitted his role in the crime. He was granted bail several days later, but did not appear in court when required the following month. A warrant was issued, but he was not arrested until February 2011.

Curbishley was committed for trial and again granted bail, but he failed to appear again in October 2011, and a warrant was issued. This time the warrant was not executed until November 30, 2019 — about eight years later. The court heard after absconding, he left Tasmania and later became a full-time employee of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service as a client services officer.

In 2019, he returned to Tasmania for a funeral, and was apprehended by the police.

“Your childhood was characterised by extreme physical, sexual and emotional abuse perpetrated, you say, by your stepfather,” Justice Pearce said.

“Violence became normalised. The abuse disrupted your education, development and ability to form normal relationships.”

The youth was sentenced to detention for two years, but Justice Pearce said Curbishley’s moral culpability for the crime was “less than that of your co-offender.”

Curbishley was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month home detention order.

“Your crime is a violent offence, but it is not my opinion that you pose a significant ongoing risk of violence during the operational period of the order,” Justice Pearce said.