July 10, 2014
A man who drew a skull on the floor of the Kingaroy War Memorial rotunda last month has been ordered to perform 40 hours community service and pay $432.95 restitution to the South Burnett Regional Council.
Rylie Dean Bassett pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today to causing wilful damage at a memorial or cemetery.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Pepe Gangemi said Bassett and two friends were spotted in the rotunda at 1:15pm on June 19.
He said Bassett had used a blue marker pen he had found in the rotunda to copy another drawing that was on the floor.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said this type of offence was particularly distressing to members of the community.
He said the war memorial had been a target in recent times and there needed to be a message sent that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated.
A second man charged over the incident, Russell Morris Moore, wrote to the court asking that his charge be transferred to Brisbane Magistrates Court where he would intend to plead guilty.
The charge was adjourned to July 21.
