ISAAC Benjamin Jones just wanted to get home.
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But instead of asking for help or directions, he carjacked someone.
In the midst of a powerful ice binge, which he later told police had robbed him of any sleep for two weeks, Jones had become lost on the University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus.
After wandering around for hours trying to find the railway station so he could get home to Aberdare, Jones, 27, spotted a man heading for his car.
It was 1.30pm on Saturday March 24, and the victim, a university student living on campus, had just got in his Mazda 3 and started the engine when he spotted Jones, a motorcycle helmet on his head, at his driver’s side window.
Jones opened the driver’s door and the victim saw a black gun in his left hand.
He stepped closer to the victim, waved the gun near his head and screamed “get out” a number of times.
The victim got out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition and Jones jumped in and drove away.
A short time later the Mazda 3 was spotted heading west on Maitland Road at Sandgate. Jones was in the driver’s seat tailgating other motorists in the right hand lane before he waved the gun out the window.
Police were called and watched CCTV footage showing Jones, a motorcycle helmet in one hand, walking around the campus for hours.
Police distributed stills of the footage to the media and a number of people identified Jones.
But despite police stopping and speaking to Jones on two occasions in April, he gave a fake name and wouldn’t be arrested for the carjacking for more than three weeks. When he was finally caught, Jones said he had been using ice and hadn’t slept for two weeks when he began walking around the university campus with a replica pistol inside his helmet.
Jones, represented by solicitor John Anthony, pleaded guilty to a number of offences, including aggravated assault with intent to take motor vehicle while armed with a weapon and damaging property by fire, and on Friday in Newcastle Local Court was jailed for a maximum of two years with a non-parole period of one year.
He will be eligible for parole in April, 2019.
By his own admissions, [Jones] said he had not slept for the previous two weeks due to an ice addiction.
- Agreed statement of facts.