Tragedy follows crime spree

A couple’s ice-fuelled crime spree across northern NSW and Queensland came to a terrifying end as police swarmed over a carjacked vehicle which brought devastating consequences for the victim.

Georgia Eve Masterson, 22, of Illinbah, and Jonathan Michael Egan, 25, of Greenbank were sentenced at Lismore District Court on Friday.

The Queensland pair watched on with deadpan expressions in their prison greens as police helicopter footage of their armed carjacking was played in court.

Egan and Masterson were being trailed by a police chopper after a series of armed robberies in Queensland and NSW on February 18 last year.

Footage showed the couple in a stolen Porsche pull into a Caltex at Banora Point on Leisure Drive, where Egan attempted to carjack a woman at gunpoint. The victim froze but didn’t hand over the keys. The pair got back into the Porsche and drove to Tweed City shopping centre.

Egan pulled a knife on Hugh Garnar, saying: “Do you want to die … I will kill you”, while Masterson brandished a gun.

The couple jumped into Mr Garnar’s Hyundai Tucson as police converged. Officers attempted to block their escape as Egan “used the Hyundai as an offensive weapon”, ramming into two police cars. The Garnars’ family car was destroyed in the crash, and they are still without a vehicle 15 months on.

Outside of court, Mr Garnar’s wife Alex said the day after the carjacking at Tweed City, their son Mason died.

“He died in my arms the night after because we had to wait for an ambulance for 45 minutes,” she said.

The court heard Egan had been on ice during the crime spree, and had spent most of his 20s in and out of prison for drug related offending.

Egan was jailed for seven years with a non-parole period of four years. He will be eligible for release on August 18, 2026.

Masterson was jailed for six years with three years nonparole and will be eligible for release on August 18, 2026. They pleaded guilty on October 14 last year to all charges.