Teenager jailed for 2023 manslaughter and robbery of elderly man at Toowoomba taxi rank

A teenager will be released from prison after serving three and a half years for the manslaughter of an elderly man at a Toowoomba shopping center taxi rank in 2023.

Robert William Brown, 75, died in hospital days after being pushed to the ground and having his backpack stolen last February.

The 19-year-old man pleaded guilty to manslaughter, robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The teenager, who cannot be named because he was a minor at the time of the attack, stood quietly in the dock as his seven-year sentence, of which he was only due to serve half, was handed down in Toowoomba Crown Court.

He has been in custody since his arrest in February last year.

In sentencing, Judge Martin Burns said detention was the only appropriate outcome.

“It is clear that you and at least one of the co-offenders decided to steal Mr Brown's backpack in the hope of obtaining something of value and either volunteered or were persuaded to do so. do,” Justice Burns said.

“You walked behind Mr. Brown for about three minutes, clearly wondering whether to carry out his plan to steal him.

“From the time you spent observing him, it must have been obvious to you that he was old and vulnerable.”

Judge Burns told the court this was weighed against the young man's early plea and his “history of deprivation”, which led him to start using drugs at the age of nine.

The 19-year-old's 474 days of pretrial detention will count as time served.

Community mourns loss

Mr Brown was an avid photographer and his death caused an outpouring of grief within his community.

He was a life member of the Toowoomba Photographic Society, who remembered him at the time of his death as a humble and creative man.

“Robert had an infectious smile that you could feel in his heart,” said Tryg Helander of the company.

“His enthusiasm for photography was also inspiring.”

A community safety forum was also held following the attack and residents expressed concerns over rising crime in the town.

Two other people charged in Mr. Brown's death remain in court.