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No appeal for bikie suspect

AN ALLEGED Rebels bikie has lost his bid to appeal an 18-month jail sentence for smashing his way into a Mount Louisa home while wielding a baseball bat to collect a debt.

Jason Michael Heang was sentenced to 18 months’ prison in Townsville District Court in September last year for burglary but was immediately released on parole after serving 137 days in custody awaiting sentencing.

On Friday the Court of Appeal in Brisbane denied Heang’s application for leave to appeal the sentence.

Court documents detail that Heang’s legal team launched the application on the basis that his sentence lacked parity when compared to his co-accused James Shattock, who was sentenced to 12 months’ prison wholly suspended.

Heang, along with Shattock, broke a glass door of the home on July 5, 2014 and started swinging a baseball bat and demanded one of the occupants who was an associate of theirs, pay him $15,000 to cover a debt.

The associate was hiding in the garage.

Lawyers for Heang, who is on parole, argued that leave to appeal should be granted so that his sentence could be changed to 12 months suspended. Court documents detailing the outcome of the application state that Heang was the lead offender in the crime.

“Shattock played a significantly lesser role,” the published decision stated.

“The applicant attended the residence armed with a baseball bat, wielded it, engaged in threats, made demands of the complainant and searched the garage.

“A head sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment did not breach the principle of parity.”

The refusal for leave means Heang will now not be able to appeal his sentence.