Carjacking bid cut short

A BAGDAD man who jumped in a stranger’s car and tried to take control of the vehicle in a bid to avoid being arrested by police has pleaded guilty to attempted carjacking.

Justice Gregory Geason heard sentencing submissions in the case against Joshua Roy Tapp, 29, in the Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday.

Crown prosecutor Madeleine Figg told the court the “very frightening” incident unfolded about 9.15am on September 15 last year after two police officers tried to arrest Tapp in relation to breaches of a family violence order.

Ms Figg said the complainant was travelling north on the Midland Hwy at Brighton when she saw Tapp running down the middle of her lane.

She said the woman stopped her car and opened the window as she thought the accused may have needed help.

“The accused opened the front passenger-side door and got inside the car. The accused told the complainant to ‘hurry up and drive’.”

Ms Figg said when the woman told Tapp she was not going to drive he grabbed her wrist firmly to keep her in the car and kept yelling at her to drive. When that didn’t work he tried to climb into the driver’s seat and push the woman out of the car but police arrived before he was successful.

“The complainant was alone in the car and it was a very frightening experience for her,” she said.

Ms Figg said Tapp tried to flee on foot, jumping a fence and running down an embankment, before he was arrested.

Defence lawyer Cameron Scott said Tapp, a father of two, was experiencing poor mental health at the time because his former partner was keeping his children from him.

Mr Scott said his client’s use of methamphetamine and cannabis contributed to his “erratic and spontaneous” behaviour but he accepted he had done the wrong thing and was genuinely remorseful.

“She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was not a targeted offence, she happened to be a good Samaritan and he effectively took advantage of her,” Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott said Tapp had been the victim of a serious assault while in custody.

Justice Geason will sentence Tapp on December 3.