April 19, 2012
Kingaroy man Michael Shane Liedtke was sentenced to nine months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to three drugs charges and the breach of a domestic violence order in Kingaroy Magistrates’ Court today.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Nick Nitschke said the drugs charges resulted after police executed a search warrant on an address in James Street, Kingaroy in December 2011.
They allegedly found a small notebook containing instructions on how to produce methylamphetamine, iodine and red phosphorous (substances defined as relevant under the Drugs Misuse Act) as well as litmus paper and other property suspected of having been acquired for the purpose of committing a drug offence.
Liedtke appeared in court on other matters in February and these charges could have been dealt with at that time except for other circumstances. After the February hearing, he was released on immediate parole.
However just a fortnight later, police were called after Liedtke allegedly smashed the windscreen of his former girlfriend’s car, ripped off the windscreen wipers and slashed two tyres with a knife. His parole was revoked and he was put into custody.
Defence counsel Andrew Kelly said the Parole Board had reassured him that Liedtke could be re-released on parole subject to two things: what the court ruled today and a home assessment.
Magistrate W.A. Cridland agreed that the drug counts could be considered in light of the February case however he said the domestic violence breach was “extremely worrying type of behaviour”.
“Society does not expect that if someone has a grievance that they’ll turn up, smash out a windscreen and take out a knife and cause damage,” he said.
He sentenced Liedtke to six months’ jail on the drug charges and nine months on the breach of the order, to be served concurrently. Liedtke will be eligible for parole after serving three months.
