A 41-year-old man, Bradley Donald Towle, remains in custody facing multiple charges stemming from a chaotic 30-minute incident on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The spree involved deadly carjackings, a fatal crash, and an assault on a Good Samaritan. Authorities allege that Towle, while intoxicated, caused a six-vehicle collision on a major highway, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old woman, Jocelyn Grace Mollee, who was a passenger in one of the involved cars.
In addition to the fatal crash, Towle is accused of shooting a 62-year-old man who attempted to help at the crash scene before stealing his vehicle at gunpoint. The charges against him include dangerous driving causing death, unlawful wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and possession of illicit drugs and cash believed to be proceeds of crime.
Towle was initially scheduled to appear at Maroochydore Magistrates Court but remained hospitalised in police custody. His case was subsequently postponed for a video link appearance where the court briefly noted the charges against him. His lawyer, Ben Rynderman, did not request bail, and the magistrate ordered that Towle be held in custody until another mention of the case on June 30.
Rynderman acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, emphasising the need for a detailed examination of the evidence due to the case’s complexity. He indicated it might take longer than the usual seven weeks for the police to provide the requisite brief of evidence. Following his hospital discharge, Towle declined a mental health assessment offered by court services.
The series of events began when Towle allegedly crashed into a Nissan Micra, killing Mollee, and subsequently shot the man offering help before stealing two vehicles. He reportedly crashed the first stolen vehicle shortly after, carjacking a Mazda from a family, including a 16-year-old learner driver. Fortunately, they managed to escape unharmed.
Towle was apprehended at gunpoint by police shortly after noon at an intersection in Landsborough, with dramatic body camera footage illustrating the confrontation. Officers located a shotgun inside the Mazda, believed to have been used in the earlier incidents. This shocking sequence of events has raised significant public concern and scrutiny as legal proceedings unfold.