July 28, 2014
A man who stole from parked cars and a home in Kingaroy earlier this month, and then stole a car, will serve seven months in jail after he pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Dylan George appeared by video link from Maryborough Correctional Centre.
He pleaded guilty to stealing $1.70 in coins, two GPS units, a child’s backpack and a phone charger from unlocked cars.
He also admitted entering his brother’s house and stealing a laptop and a set of car keys. He then used the keys to steal a car which he drove out of Kingaroy.
George also pleaded guilty to unlicensed driving and driving off from the Colinton BP Garage without paying for $61.08 worth of petrol.
Police prosecutor Sgt Pepe Gangemi said George was on parole at the time he committed the offences.
Probation and Parole Officer Ms Libby Bateman said George was also supposed to be complete 100 hours of community service but had done “absolutely none”.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said George had six-pages of criminal history with lots of entries for stealing.
“You are a recidivist offender. Courts have tried all sentencing options in the past,” he said.
Mr Bucknall said George had been granted “considerable leniency” when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court last October and was placed on two years probation and ordered to perform 100 hours community service.
“Even when that leniency was extended to you, you continued to commit further offences,” he said.
“There needs to come a time when a line is drawn in the sand and youth doesn’t provide a shield against going to prison.”
George was sentenced to three months jail on each charge of “enter premises” (ie stealing from cars), 15 months for burglary and six months for car stealing, to be served concurrently. He was convicted and not further punished for unlicensed driving and the fuel drive-off, although he was ordered to pay $61.08 compensation to BP Colinton. Convictions were recorded.
Mr Bucknall set a parole release date of March 12, 2015.
* * *
Also in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Thursday:
A charge alleging “retaliation / intimidation against juror, witness or family” against Kingaroy doctor Clara Isabella Johanna Jonsson, was officially dropped.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Pepe Gangemi said no evidence would be offered.
Barrister April Freeman, for Jonsson, said there would be no application made for costs.
* * *
A former employee of the South Burnett Private Hospital pleaded guilty to stealing a microwave from the hospital.
Alexandra Nadine Ree, who was unrepresented in court, also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and a pipe, and possessing a restricted item (handcuffs).
Ree, who left the hospital in 2009, told police she found the microwave in a bin out the back of the hospital and thought it had been thrown out.
Magistrate Bucknall fined Ree $700 on all charges and ordered that the microwave be returned to the hospital.
* * *
A Memerambi man who told the court he refused to accompany police to the station as it would leave his son at home unattended was sentenced to three months jail – and then immediately paroled.
Darren Troy Bean, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault and two charges of obstructing police.
Prosecutor Sgt Gangemi said Bean had slammed a door on police, refused to open it and made threats to police despite being told repeatedly he was under arrest.
Magistrate Buckland said Bean had exhibited appalling behaviour, and he had no confidence from Bean’s attitude or demeanour in court that he would comply with a probation order.
He sentenced Bean to three months’ jail but released him immediately on parole.
“You’re very lucky that you’re walking out that back door today,” he said.
* * *
Prue Nicklin Stanton, charged with 30 counts of fraud plus a charge of identity theft, was ordered to reappear in court on September 25.
Solicitor Caroline Cavanagh said efforts were being made to “case conference” the charges.
Prosecutor Sgt Gangemi said the defence had sought complex forensic analysis of computer equipment and phones.
* * *
A drunken man who had to be tasered by police after a car chase was denied a request by magistrate Mark Bucknall to have his identity suppressed by the court.
Mr Bucknall told Ernest George Moody – who said he was embarrassed by what had happened – that the community deserved to know what happens in court.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Gangemi said police had been called to a disturbance in Gilbert Street, Kingaroy, at 8:55pm on June 18.
As they got there, they saw a vehicle accelerate towards them, fishtailing as it lost traction and almost colliding with the police car.
The police did a U-turn and followed the vehicle, which refused to stop.
At an address in Haly Street, Moody stopped the car, threw the keys away and walked off. When police attempted to talk to him he refused to comply with directions and approached them in a threatening manner.
Police were forced to fire a taser which stopped Moody in his tracks and allowed police to handcuff him. A subsequent test showed Moody had a blood alcohol reading of 0.163.
Moody represented himself in court despite being urged to seek legal advice by both the prosecutor and magistrate.
He told the court he had been self-medicating on alcohol but was now seeing a psychologist. He said he had been trying to get away from two people on the night who wanted to fight and and had threatened to smash up his car.
“I have known that my anger is a problem. I have been on anti-depressants. I am so embarrassed that it has taken this event to point out (to me) the problem,” he said.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said very severe penalties had been legislated by Parliament for failing to stop for police – a minimum fine of $5500 or 50 days actual jail time.
He fined Moody $6000 and disqualified him from driving for a total of three years.
* * *
A 19-year-old man was sentenced to nine months jail – but will be eligible for parole in three months – after pleading guilty to a string of charges.
Ethan James Latimer Law pleaded guilty to five drug charges, break and enter, enter premises, stealing and contravening a police direction.
