Robber bashed addict

A MAN has been found guilty of a robbery where a drug addict was beaten and had his partner’s car stolen.

Travis Roland Laverack was yesterday convicted of robbery in company using personal vi- olence following a trial in the Townsville District Court

During the trial the crown put forward a case that Laverack had gone to a Mount Louisa address on March 27, 2017, along with a co- offender Michael Lynch.

It was alleged Laverack hit the complainant, Daniel Johns, demanding he return some clothes to him and asking for his phone.

The crown also alleged Laverack had Mr Johns on the ground while Lynch reversed towards him, before both men left in the Nissan X- Trail.

But Laverack denied going to the address, telling police he had nothing to do with the robbery and that “I’m not the person you are looking for”.

During the course of the trial the jury heard evidence Lynch was caught driving the gold Nissan X- Trail on March 30, ramming a police car when the police officer tried to arrest him.

The jury was also played the police interview with Laverack, where he repeatedly said his arrest was “a stitch- up” and denied knowing Lynch.

In the recording Laverack told police he “heard on the grapevine” Lynch had “taken DJ’s car off him” but repeatedly said he wasn’t involved.

He also said he had argued with Mr Johns about some driving it clothes he had stolen from him and called him a “thieving junkie” but it had occurred two weeks before the incident.

The jury heard GPS data from Laverack’s work vehicle placed it at the crime scene, despite Laverack telling police he had left it at work that night.

In his closing address crown prosecutor Dane Marley told the jury the crown alleged Laverack told lies in the police interview, demonstrating his consciousness of his own guilt.

“It would be open for you to conclude that the defendant told police that he wasn’t there and he didn’t drive the car there because he knew it would implicate him in the commission of this offence,” he said.

The jury went out yesterday morning to begin their deliberations and returned a verdict in the afternoon.

Laverack will be sentenced on June 15.