Couple flee bat ambush

Thug facing prison over car hijacking

A YOUNG thug is facing a lengthy jail term for launching a violent carjacking on two young victims in Geelong’s Eastern Gardens.

Ricky Dean Wilson was fresh out of prison and armed with a baseball bat when he forced the pair from a Ford XR6 during a frightening latenight incident.

A woman, 18, fled the vehicle and hid in bushes, while a 23-year-old man was also forced to run for cover after being struck with the bat.

Wilson, now 25, faced a presentencing hearing at the County Court on Friday after a jury previously found him guilty of aggravated carjacking.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum jail term of three years, unless there are special circumstances.

A prosecution summary of the offending reveals the two victims were in a gravel carpark within Eastern Gardens when the incident happened about 11.30pm on March 23, 2018.

The pair were in the back seat of the Ford, with the teenage victim asleep, when Wilson arrived in the area in a white BMW.

The vehicle flashed its high beams at the Ford before Wilson exited and confronted the victims, saying words to the effect of, “I’m taking your car”.

He then returned to the BMW and armed himself with a baseball bat, before walking back to the Ford and opening the door. Wilson demanded the keys from the male victim as he swung the bat, hitting the man’s knees.

The young woman fled and hid in bushes, before she was joined by her male counterpart, who had the keys swiped from him as he was struck again with the bat.

Wilson drove from the scene in their vehicle, which was recovered six days later in Belmont.

The Newcomb man had been released from prison less than a month before the incident. He has been in custody since his arrest in May, 2018.

Last month, following the jury verdict, Wilson pleaded guilty to unrelated charges including multiple vehicle thefts and failing to comply with reporting obligations under the Sex Offender Registry.

Judge Susan Cohen will sentence Wilson on a later date.