Beau Thomas Andrew Burke: Tattooed meth abuser who attempted to kidnap a woman in Rockhampton, Central Queensland could soon be released from jail
A violent felon who tried to kidnap a woman while she was on ice before committing other serious offenses including arson while on parole could soon be released from prison.
Beau Thomas Andrew Burke, 26, has a history of drug-fuelled violence and has breached his parole twice in less than four years in central Queensland.
The criminal, who has the letters ‘HARD’ tattooed on the knuckles of his left hand, once tried to kidnap a young woman by telling her ‘I want you’.
He also caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage after setting fire to a car and a houseboat while on parole for his previous crimes.
Despite his lengthy criminal record, authorities are keeping quiet about the details of his upcoming release into the community news.com.au.
Beau Thomas Andrew Burke (pictured) has a history of drug-fueled violence and has violated his parole twice in less than four years
The tattooed thug once tried to kidnap a young woman by telling her ‘I want you’ and caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage after setting fire to a car and a houseboat while on parole
Burke’s violent offending began after he injected himself with 0.3 grams of meth and stole his neighbor’s Toyota Hilux car in the early hours of May 13, 2019.
He stopped and asked a 24-year-old woman for directions as she waited outside the North Rockhampton Hotel in central Queensland to be picked up by her boyfriend.
The tattooed thug lunged at the terrified woman, placed her in a headlock and dragged her into the stolen vehicle.
Burke’s chilling response when she asked him what he wanted was, “I want you.”
The woman was only able to escape when she honked the horn in the stolen car and someone at the hotel came to her rescue.
Burke was then involved in a high-speed chase before crashing 20 miles away and attacking officers who eventually arrested him.
During his arrest he also kicked a police dog.
Incredibly, he was released on parole when he was sentenced in 2020 after 13 months of pre-trial detention, a sentence that Judge Michael Burnett had hoped was ‘sufficiently enlightening’.
Despite being told by the judge that he would face jail time if he committed any more crimes, Burke set fire to a car and a moored houseboat less than a year later.
The double arson was committed while Burke was high on the ice on April 9, 2021, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
He claimed he thought the car had been abandoned and, after searching it for valuables, he panicked when he realized his fingerprints were everywhere.
Burke’s lawyers claimed he then set the car on fire in an attempt to cover up the evidence before sensing the scene when confronted by a friend of the car owner.
Burke’s violent crime began after he injected himself with 0.3 grams of meth and stole his neighbor’s urine in the early hours of May 13, 2019.
He then swam across the crocodile-infested Fitzroy River in Rockhampton to a moored houseboat, which he also set on fire.
The devastated owner, who planned to use the boat during their retirement, estimated the vessel to be worth up to $40,000.
Burke was sentenced to four years in prison, with parole eligibility in August 2022.
Still, his offending continued after he left prison, when he went on another meth-fueled rampage in June 2023 and attempted to carjack multiple people.
Among his victims was a 17-year-old girl, whose wrist he grabbed before issuing the threat: ‘Give me your f***ing keys’.
Burke pleaded guilty to a series of offenses and was jailed for 18 months.
Despite being told by the judge at his sentencing in 2020 that he would face jail time if he committed any more crimes, Burke then set fire to a car (pictured) and a moored houseboat.
The devastated owner, who planned to use the houseboat during their retirement, estimated the vessel to be worth up to $40,000 (pictured)
“Once again you have acted in a selfish manner in your decision to use dangerous drugs, mainly methamphetamine,” Judge Jeff Clarke told the Rockhampton District Court last month.
‘This time your behavior was again irrational and unpredictable.
‘Previous long prison sentences have failed to deter you or give you a reason to change your lifestyle.’
Despite his comments, Judge Clarke reportedly granted Burke immediate parole given the time he had already served in custody.
It is understood that Burke is still in custody but will be released soon.
Daily Mail Australia approached Queensland Corrections for comment.