ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A Betoota Heights man has fronted court this morning after being charged with torture earlier this week.
Darryl Norman Carmichael (42) was found to be in possession of an empty Tim Tam tray which he sadistically left in his fridge for other family members to find.
His wife, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, made the gruesome discovery on Tuesday morning and immediately alerted the Betoota Heights Police Force.
After a short vehicle and foot pursuit through the Alice Road Reserve and up Mulbray Avenue, Mr Carmichael was arrested and taken to the police station for questioning.
Detectives from the Queensland Major Crimes Squad that flew across from Brisbane interrogated the mortgage broker, where he confessed to the crime after being questioned for close to an hour.
Carmichael appeared in Betoota Local Court this morning where he entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of assault with a deadly weapon, grievous bodily harm and resisting arrest.
The accused told the court that he was under the impression that he was in possession of a ‘never-ending’ tray of Tim Tams – as the recent ad campaign suggests.
Detective Peter Cornwallace of the Major Crimes Squad spoke to the media outside court a short time ago.
“We are glad justice will be served,” he said.
“However, his early guilty plea has been taken into consideration by the court and the Department of Public Prosecutions,”
“But let it be known, this is a very serious offence. The first of it’s kind in the South West as far as we’re concerned. Should we feel the penalty not fit the crime, we will appeal the sentence to the Court of Appeal,”
“Deceiving a person with an empty tray is about as bad as it gets. In all my time I’ve spent on the force, this is by far one of the most disturbing cases I’ve ever dealt with.”
Carmichael will be sentenced on June 14.
More to come.
