Chinchilla businessman Benjamin Mark George Boodle lost his appeal against multiple distressing crimes he was found guilty of, after he claimed the jury at his trial was bias.

Boodle was sentenced to 18 months behind bars after the pilot privately flew himself from Chinchilla to Goondiwindi where he broke into a woman’s home and held a knife to her throat - severing tendons in her fingers in the process.
At the Goondiwindi District Court in October 2019, Boodle was found guilty of, entering and dwelling with intent and using actual violence while armed, causing grievous bodily harm, and armed robbery.

In April 2020 Defence barrister Christopher Wilson filed a conviction appeal on Boodle’s behalf after it was revealed that a juror had been at the concrete boss’s engagement party.

In November 2020 during the appeal case, Judge Morrison said there was no evidence to suggest the jury bias occurred.

“The evidence does not disclose anything beyond mere idle wondering rather than an actual apprehension or mistrust as to the jurors identified by the appellant,” Judge Morrison said.

“The simple fact that a juror knows a person associated with a trial whether it be defendant, complainant or witness cannot possibly constitute such a ground.

“It is not uncommon, in fact, it is a rare event indeed for a criminal trial in a country centre that involves a jury to involve jurors none of whom know of any of the participants or know something about any of the participants.”

The court recounted the terrifying night when Boodle quietly broke into the woman’s house and snuck up behind her while she was watching television.

“She described the sensation of being grabbed around the chest from behind, and feeling something sharp on her neck, she tried to pull the blade away, unsuccessfully, and cut her hand in the process,” the court heard.

“(Boodle) put his other hand over her mouth, keeping the knife against her throat, she was screaming, he told her to stop or he would cut her.”

The court heard Boodle then told the woman he would come back and kill her and her son if she didn’t do as he said.

“She suffered grievous bodily harm, by lacerations to both tendons of a finger, as well as nerve damage, she also had injuries to her neck and face,” the court heard.

Boodle is set to be released from jail and placed on parole on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.