December 19, 2013
A 17-year-old Nanango man charged over a break-and-enter at the Timbertown Art & Craft Cafe in Yarraman in October has been placed on six months probation.
Joshua Adam Ehrlich pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today to stealing and break-and-enter.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said Ehrlich, who appeared in court unrepresented, had no prior criminal history.
He said Ehrlich and some juvenile companions had been drinking at a shared residence when it was decided they would break into the cafe.
As they were walking to the cafe, they passed a house where one of the group removed a 12v solar panel from the garden.
Ehrlich said “I can use that” and put it in his backpack.
At the cafe, Ehrlich appeared reluctant to enter the building but stayed outside as a lookout, Sgt Bushell said.
He said the juveniles removed food from the cafe.
Ehrlich asked that no conviction be recorded as he hoped to join the Australian Defence Force.
Magistrate Barry Barrett said this type of unlawful behaviour had to be “nipped in the bud” at an early age which could be done by placing Ehrlich on probation.
No conviction was recorded.
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A number of people appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today charged with public nuisance over an incident at Booie on November 15 when rocks were allegedly tossed on residents’ roofs.
Charges against Hamish Liam Frazer and Trent Nathan Newman were adjourned to January 16.
A third man, Brandon Jae Walsh, 20, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without an interlock device fitted and public nuisance in relation to the same incident.
The court was told a resident took photos after a group of between six and eight men began running in and out of yards, yelling and shouting obscenities, and throwing rocks on roofs about 12:05am.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Bushell said timber posts were also removed and thrown at garage doors.
“One person was observed hanging onto the rear of a utility and sliding along,” Sgt Bushell said.
Solicitor Mark Oliver, for Walsh, said it was a group of acquaintances “bordering on friends” who had started drinking about lunchtime.
He said they were “boisterous country boys” who were “young and dumb”.
He said Walsh’s spouse was “not too happy with him” after he returned home after 11 hours of drinking.
Walsh was fined $300 on the public nuisance charge, with no conviction recorded.
On the two traffic matters, he was convicted and placed on 12 months probation, ordered to undergo a Driving With Care course at his own expense and disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.
UPDATE January 16, 2014: Frazer and Newman were both fined $250 when they appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today.
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A tired driver who wrote off his car after he ended up on the wrong side of Kingaroy-Barkers Creek Road and hit a guidepost was fined $450 in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today.
Roderick Michel Young, 56, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention.
“Fatigue is one of the Fatal Five,” Police Prosecutor Sgt Bushell said.
“Driving tired on the roads is almost the same as driving drunk.”
There was a second vehicle in the vicinity, but fortunately Young’s vehicle did not hit it.
There were no injuries.
Magistrate Barrett also ordered Young pay $80.70 court costs.
