Alice Springs man Gregory Douglas Abbott, 31, jailed for carjacking woman at knife point in Carey Park

A 31-year-old Alice Springs man has been jailed for a “brazen” daylight carjacking in Carey Park and warned he may have difficulty getting parole due to his extensive criminal history. Gregory Douglas Abbott was sentenced to a prison term of four years and three months in Bunbury District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to aggravated armed robbery. The court was told a woman in her 40s was driving her Ford Ecosport SUV along Bussell Highway near the roundabout at Brittain Road when she drove slowly to avoid another car that was parked along a median strip when Abbott ran in front of her vehicle armed with a knife. Abbott was shouting at the woman and tried opening the driver’s door while the woman used both hands to keep it shut and trying to lock it. However, Abbott was able to overpower her forcibly removed the woman from the vehicle, threw her onto the ground before driving off in her car. The court was told the incident was witnessed by several members of the public who called police and assisted the woman. After a police pursuit that resulted in extensive damage to the car, Abbott was arrested and taken into custody but was deemed “too aggressive and unpredictable” for an interview to be conducted. In submissions, Abbott’s defence lawyer Tony Hager told the court his client had been using methamphetamine, cannabis and alcohol in the days leading up to the incident and felt the need to steal a car so he could travel back to Alice Springs. Mr Hager also accepted the “random attack” was a “terrifying incident” and Abbott’s level of intoxication would have made his behaviour “highly unpredictable”. It was also found Abbott had a “history of violence” including burglaries and assaults in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. State prosecutor Danielle Clarke submitted Abbott posed “a significant danger to the community” and the incident left a “significant physical and psychological impact” on the victim. A victim impact statement submitted to the court showed the woman suffered a muscle tear in her left calf and bruising and had since become anxious for her and her children’s safety. In sentencing, District Court Judge Bruce Goetze likened Abbott’s prison stints to a “revolving door” and noted Abbott’s criminal history might prove difficult if he applies for parole. “Hopefully you’re getting to the stage where the penny might drop and you stop behaving in this way,” he said. “There was a degree of premeditation and planning in your offending because you hid behind that car. “People shouldn’t have to worry about someone jumping in front of their car with a knife while they are driving.” Abbott’s sentence was backdated to March and will be made eligible for parole in June 2023.