Tomahawk bandit appeals sentence

A QUEENSLAND man who assaulted pharmacy staff during an armed robbery in Mar 2020, has successfully appealed his four-year prison sentence.

Joshua Thomas William Watson pleaded guilty to armed robbery and common assault, which took place at TerryWhite Chemmart Belgian Gardens on 09 Mar 2020, while carrying a tomahawk in a shopping bag (PD 18 May).

The Supreme Court of Queensland issued orders yesterday that “the sentence imposed in respect to the count of armed robbery is varied by setting aside the order that the applicant [Watson] be eligible for parole on 12 May 2021 and suspending the sentence of four years forthwith for an operational period to expire on 09 Mar 2024”.

During the initial sentencing at Townsville District Court earlier this year, Judge Gregory Lynham, said Watson was “out to get caught” and had a “desire” to return to prison, having served a three-year sentence after being convicted of 15 crimes, including breaking into the Cooloola Chemist three times in a single night on 16 Jul 2016, and using his five-year-old daughter as a lookout.

Court papers noted that Watson had threatened to hurt a 23-yearold female pharmacist during the robbery, ordering her to fill a bag with prescription medications, and warning that things would “get messy” if she did not comply.

Watson assaulted a pharmacy assistant during the raid, but did not remove the tomahawk from the bag, before escaping by car.

Watson was arrested a short time later and made a “full and frank confession”, the Court heard.

The 38-year-old told police that he had acted as “unaggressively as possible” during the incident.

“I didn’t want to traumatise people or anything,” he said.

Issuing the new orders the Court noted that Watson has served a total of 19 months imprisonment.