Rev Dr John Evans presents at the 2017 Synod meeting.
Retired UCA minister Rev Dr John Evans was attacked by a carjacker who threatened him with a replica gun before stealing his vehicle on Monday, 18 November.
John, 65, had finished an early morning game of golf and was trying to get his silver 2019 Subaru Impreza out of Old Poplar Rd in Parkville at about 8am when he was blocked by a dark SUV.
“They moved in such a way that I couldn’t get by and I tooted,” John said.
A man emerged from the passenger side of the SUV and aggressively approached John’s car.
“I was thinking ‘oh no this is road rage’ or something of that nature because he didn’t like having the toots when I was wanting to get past him,” John says.
“A carjacking just did not compute. He looked quite respectable and that was another thing that didn’t compute.
“He was medium build, wasn’t big and burly. He was neatly presented to the extent that I almost thought he was part of the police.
“Then the guy was trying to pass himself off as someone with authority and waving the gun to get me out of the car but I didn’t do it immediately.”
John says he wasn’t fooled by what police have confirmed was a replica firearm.
“I didn’t feel anxious or worried as it was unfolding,” he says.
“I formed the view that this ain’t a gun, it just looked plastic. I was literally looking down the barrel of the gun thinking ‘that’s very thin for a barrel of a gun’.
“I wasn’t responding as he wanted me to respond and that got him flustered. He couldn’t quite join the dots. It wasn’t going to plan.”
The man pulled open John’s door, unbuckled his seatbelt and wrestled him to the ground searching for the keys.
“I had the keys in my pocket and he was reaching for the keys in my pocket and pulled the trousers to get at the keys,” John said.
“I am providing a bit of resistance because the gun goes flying. It didn’t go thud as a metal item might do, it just skimmed across the surface of the road.
“I showed some resistance, but basically the view was formed he wanted to take my car, so here you are.”
The man eventually drove off in John’s car along with an accomplice in the SUV.
John was taken home by police and helped provide an artist’s impression of the carjacker.
A police artist’s impression of the carjacking suspect.
John, who retired from his last fulltime placement at Church of All Nations in Carlton in 2016 but still does supply ministry, said he wasn’t feeling unduly affected by the incident.
“The major issue, of course, is I don’t have any golf clubs,” he said. “I won’t be playing golf on Thursday this week.”
Police have appealed for any one who witnessed the carjacking or who has seen the Subaru with the registration plate of 1OO 1DS since the incident to come forward.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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