An initially perplexing attempted robbery in Queensland, Australia, quickly unfolded into a complex narrative of trauma and survival, revealing the far-reaching consequences of a recent harrowing ordeal. Shane Christopher Lees, a 44-year-old self-employed DJ, found himself thrust into the public eye after attempting to rob a pub quizmaster in Townsville, armed with three kitchen knives. While at first blush the incident seemed like a candidate for “World’s Dumbest Criminals,” authorities soon learned it was a desperate act from a man deeply scarred by a recent and terrifying experience.
Last November, Lees tried to steal a book and cellphone from the quizmaster, who bravely refused to comply. Lees eventually fled the scene, but not before attracting police attention. When officers attempted to restrain him, Lees put up a significant fight, “thrashing around with his legs.” In the course of his arrest, police discovered 6.3 grams of cannabis on his person, adding a drug possession charge to his list of offenses.
Initially skeptical of his account, police were stunned to learn that Lees had been a victim of a kidnapping just hours before the attempted robbery. Lees had been taken at gunpoint by several individuals who subsequently held him hostage for multiple days, forcing him to endure a daily extortion of $10,000. This intense trauma, coupled with a psychologist’s confirmation of post-traumatic stress disorder, would later provide crucial context for his erratic behavior.
Lees’s life took a turn when he traveled from Dimbulah in Queensland’s rural far north to Townsville with plans to purchase a vehicle. Following his arrival, he decided to visit the Ville Casino Resort and ended up winning a significant sum of money. During his time there, he befriended two women and shared his interest in buying a motorcycle. Unbeknownst to him, this disclosure would lead to his kidnapping. The women led Lees to meet a supposed motorcycle seller, but he was instead confronted by several individuals who zip-tied his hands and held him at gunpoint.
Trapped in a unit for several days, Lees feared for his life as he recalled seeing plastic sheets spread out, suspecting his captors were preparing to kill him. His situation took a dramatic turn when he managed to escape by freeing himself from the zip ties and fleeing through a window while his captors were asleep. The attempted robbery of the quizmaster occurred shortly after his daring escape, a desperate act influenced by his intense fear and paranoia.
During his sentencing hearing on August 5, Judge Gregory Lynham recognized the “bizarre background” of Lees’s case, granting him some leniency. Lynham sentenced Lees to two years in prison but deducted six months due to the extraordinary circumstances. Given that Lees had already spent 250 days in pre-trial detention, satisfying the mandatory one-third of his sentence, he was released on parole.
As Lees absorbed the reality of his release, he fought back tears, profoundly moved by his newfound freedom. Meanwhile, those accused of holding him hostage await their trial, leaving Lees to grapple with the lingering effects of an ordeal that dramatically altered the course of his life.
