Latest news with #Branyan
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Update on driver accused of highway carjacking spree in Queensland
A man accused of a series of horrifying carjackings and a fatal crash has been released from hospital and will remain behind bars. Bradley Donald Towle, 41, is facing 15 charges including dangerous driving causing death while intoxicated after a string of alleged incidents on Queensland 's Sunshine Coast on Monday. Mr Towle is accused of causing a six-vehicle crash on a major highway north of Brisbane that killed a 22-year-old woman. She has been identified in court documents as Jocelyn Grace Mollee. He sustained head and body injuries during the incident and, after his arrest, was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital where he remained under police guard. Criminal defence solicitor Ben Rynderman told reporters outside the Maroochydore Court on Wednesday that his client had left hospital and been taken to jail. 'This is of course a very serious matter,' he said. 'It's obviously very serious and tragic and it will be treated with the seriousness and the gravity that it is.' There has been no application for bail and Magistrate Rodney Madsen remanded Mr Towle in custody before his next mention on June 30 at Maroochydore. 'I imagine police will compile a comprehensive brief of evidence that will be very detailed and we will assess that brief on its merits,' Mr Rynderman said. Court documents state Mr Towle had declined to participate in a mental health assessment offered by a court liaison service. Mr Towle allegedly caused the multi-vehicle crash on Easter Monday when the red Porsche Macan he was driving struck the side of a Nissan Micra. Ms Mollee was a passenger in the Nissan and later died of her injuries. Mr Towle allegedly shot a 62-year-old Branyan man in the arm after he stopped to help and stole his SsangYong Rexton. He then allegedly crashed that vehicle within 25 minutes and carjacked a Mazda 3, which was being driven by a 16-year-old female learner driver and her parents. The teen and her parents fled the vehicle and were not harmed. Police then arrested Mr Towle at gunpoint at about 12.48pm at the intersection of Steve Irwin Way and Forestry Road, Landsborough. Footage showed officers yelling at Mr Towle, who appeared to be bleeding, to 'get down' and 'put your hands behind your back'. Police allege officers found a single-barrel break-action shotgun in the Mazda that was used during the previous offences. Court documents seen by the Courier Mail alleged ammunition, GHB, meth and Australian currency suspected of being tainted property were also seized. Sunshine Coast Police Chief Inspector Jason Overland described the crash as 'terrible' and said there has been an outpouring of tributes to Ms Mollee. 'She was a beautiful young woman, gentle soul, and a hard worker. She was going to be a pillar of society,' her mum, Amanda Chippendale, told the Courier Mail. 'She was smart, she was kind, she had a wicked sense of humour, a sense of adventure. She wanted to live life to the fullest. 'She could make people talk and she could make people laugh. She had a love of books and loved nature.'
Perth Now
23-04-2025
- Perth Now
Carjacking, shooting accused to remain behind bars
A man accused of carjackings, a fatal crash and shooting a good Samaritan in a 30-minute spree will remain behind bars. Bradley Donald Towle, 41, is facing 15 charges including dangerous driving causing death while intoxicated following a string of alleged incidents on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Monday. Towle is accused of causing a six-vehicle crash on a major highway north of Brisbane that killed a 22-year-old woman who has been identified in court documents as Jocelyn Grace Mollee. Police also allege Towle shot a 62-year-old man who stopped to offer assistance to crash victims before stealing two cars at gunpoint. Towle has been charged with a string of offences including unlawful wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing methamphetamine, GHB and cash suspected to be proceeds of crime. He was originally due to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday but he was still in hospital under police guard. The matter was adjourned for him to appear via videolink on Wednesday. The charges were briefly mentioned on Wednesday but Towle was not required to appear despite him being taken from hospital and placed in an adjacent police watchhouse. Towle's solicitor Ben Rynderman did not apply for bail and Magistrate Rodney Madsen remanded him in custody ahead of his case's next court mention on June 30 at Maroochydore. Mr Rynderman said outside court his client was facing very serious charges. "The matter has been adjourned for the disclosure of a brief of evidence (by police)," he said. "Ordinarily that takes approximately seven weeks. Given the complexity of this matter, it will take slightly longer. "It's a matter that will require careful investigation, certainly, and also careful analysis from a defence perspective." Mr Rynderman said he had spoken with his client after he was discharged from hospital but was not able to say whether or not Towle would seek bail at a later stage. "(Towle's) injuries are of a nature whereby he is able to be looked after in the watchhouse without requiring further medical assistance," he said. Court documents state Towle had declined to participate in a mental health assessment offered by a court liaison service. Towle allegedly caused the multi-vehicle crash when the Porsche he was driving struck the side of a Nissan Micra. Ms Mollee was a passenger in the Nissan, later dying of her injuries sustained in the crash. Towle allegedly shot a 62-year-old Branyan man in the arm after he stopped to render assistance and stole his SsangYong Rexton. He allegedly crashed that vehicle within 25 minutes of leaving the scene and carjacked a Mazda 3, that was being driven by a 16-year-old female learner driver and her parents. The teen and her parents fled the vehicle and were not harmed. Towle was later arrested at gunpoint by police at 12.48pm at the intersection of Steve Irwin Way and Forestry Road, Landsborough. Dramatic arrest footage from body cameras has been shared by police. Two officers with guns drawn can be seen in the footage approaching a vehicle on the busy intersection and screaming at a "bleeding" man to get out before handcuffing him. Police allege officers found a single-barrel break-action shotgun in the Mazda that was used during the previous offences.
