Jenard Jim Rhodes is accused of trying to carjack a man at Westfield Belconnen. Photo: Westfield Belconnen.
An alleged wannabe carjacker is accused of assaulting a man inside his luxury car at Westfield Belconnen but then getting trapped there when his alleged victim locked him inside.
Jenard Jim Rhodes, a 23-year-old from Torrens, was arrested a month after the alleged attack and was refused bail when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday (15 December).
The man had been sitting in his 2017 Porsche Boxster at the Belconnen Westfield carpark on the afternoon of 14 November 2023, court documents say.
It alleged Rhodes opened his passenger door, jumped into the car and told him, “I will cut you if you don’t leave the car”.
He allegedly tried to grab the man’s keys, then head-butted him and punched him in the face over eight times.
The man tried to fight back while Rhodes allegedly kept punching him, then the pair got into a scuffle outside the car.
Rhodes then allegedly ran back to the car and got inside, but as the man still had the keys, he locked his alleged attacker inside the vehicle.
It is alleged Rhodes tried to find a spare key inside the car, then smashed a window to escape and fled the scene. The man chased him into Florey before losing sight of him.
He had allegedly suffered a fractured nose, fractured knuckle and a sprained ankle.
Rhodes was handed charges of attempted robbery, assault, damaging property and making a demand with a threat to endanger health after he was arrested on Thursday (14 December).
He applied for bail in court the next day, which was opposed by the prosecution.
His lawyer argued that he didn’t know his alleged victim, didn’t recall the events of that afternoon and could reside under bail conditions, including he not enter Belconnen.
But Magistrate Glenn Theakston said the allegations involved a violent attack and while the identity of the perpetrator was in question, it appeared to be established by a photo taken by the complainant, security camera footage and fingerprints found in the car.
“I would have thought that the community would expect violence at this level … to be taken seriously,” he said.
Bail was refused and Rhodes was remanded in custody for a mention of the matter on 25 January.
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