A Queensland man has spent more than 400 days in jail after a ploy involving a former schoolmate and a second-hand Holden Commodore, a Brisbane Court has been told.
Brandon Wayne Green, 20, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Tuesday to a five count indictment including charges of armed robbery in company, extortion, fraud and retaliation against a witness.
The offending relates to two separate incidents in September 2020, one of which involved a man he knew from high school interested in buying the car for $1500, prosecutor James Bishop said.
Green and his co-offender were waiting for an Uber after making the apparent deal, that included a cash payment of $600, when he struck a friend of his ex-schoolmate in the leg with a crowbar, the court was told.
The victims were told to throw their wallets and phones on the ground, as well as the keys to the Commodore, and were threatened with further violence if the police were called.
Green's threats continued when he contacted the school friend through Facebook and demanded bank details, which netting him almost $6000 after making more than a dozen transactions, Mr Bishop said.
He was arrested after a search warrant and sent more threats while on bail, motivated by retaliation for the police complaint, the court was told.
Prior to the incident involving the Holden, Green and a co-offender had another altercation with a man over $600, during which he hit the victim in the head, Mr Bishop said.
The 20-year old has been in jail for more than 13 months, time Judge Orazio Rinaudo said gave him the opportunity to reflect on the events that put him there.
"I am concerned obviously when I read the sorts of comments you made ... in terms of retaliation," he said.
"I hope that those views have now completely dissipated, and there's no likelihood at all of you attempting to retaliate in any way."
Green received a sentence of three years with immediate release on parole.
He was also ordered to pay $1200 in restitution, split evenly between the two complainants.
