Townsville Magistrates Court wrap up: Jealous boyfriend, motorcyclist crash and copper wire thieves

A mobile phone attack, an unlicensed motorcycle driver and an employee who stole from his own work site, make up the matters in court recently. Here’s today’s courthouse wrap up.

A man appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court after allegedly throwing a phone at a man’s head and striking him in a park. Picture: istock

Here are the sentences that have been through Townsville Magistrates Court recently.

Jealous man rages before park attack

An offender who thought he saw ‘eye contact’ between his girlfriend and another man in a park is what caused the boyfriend to lash out and throw a phone at the man’s head.

Warren Rennie appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning via video link as he remained in custody.

Police prosecutor Michael Wilkie said at 8:30pm on April 2 in an Edmonton park, the man threw a mobile phone at the forehead of another man, unknown to him, before striking him and causing him to fall backwards.

The court was told the victim was “bleeding profusely” from his head.

Mr Wilkie said the 33-year-old man became angry when he thought he saw his girlfriend make eye contact with the victim as they were standing in a group at the park.

Townsville Courthouse. Picture: Shae Beplate.

When police arrived, Rennie came back to the park and declared he had “f — ked up”, the prosecutor said.

Defence lawyer Margaret Crowther from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services said her client was raised in Alice Springs and was subject to issues with alcohol and violence growing up.

She highlighted the man entered an early plea of guilty and had already served 43 days in pre-sentence custody.

Magistrate Susan Warrington told the man he “reacted very poorly”.

Rennie pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 15 months’ jail, with the 43 days spent in pre-sentence custody declared as time served and was given a parole release date of October 27.

Unlicensed motorcyclist causes Kirwan crash

A man who was driving a motorcycle that belonged to someone else has fronted court after he crashed the bike in Kirwan earlier this year, and shattered his own knee cap in the process.

Jack Matthew Walker appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning via video link as he remained in a correctional centre.

Police prosecutor Michael Wilkie told the court that on February 22 at 3:45pm, police were called to a crash at the intersection of McBride and Joyce Streets and saw 31-year-old Walker standing in the middle of the road wearing a helmet.

The prosecutor said a witness who was driving the car, struck by Walker, identified him as the driver before police did checks and confirmed the motorcycle belonged to someone else.

Jack Matthew Walker appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court after crashing a borrowed motorcycle in Kirwan, shattering his kneecap, with police confirming he was identified by a witness and that the bike belonged to someone else.

The checks also confirmed Walker was not the holder of a motorbike licence.

“Police spoke to the witness who was the second driver and said he was approaching the intersection, looked right upon entering to see (Walker) coming from the wrong side of the road towards his vehicle at an unknown speed, striking the rear side door of the vehicle,” Mr Wilkie said.

“While there was no indication of the witness being injured, it still would’ve been extremely distressing.”

Defence lawyer Phil Rennick of Rennick Lawyers said his client suffered from a shattered knee cap during the crash that required 30 screws and staples to the leg.

Walker pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a motorbike, driving without a licence and driving without due care.

He was sentenced to two months’ jail and will be eligible for parole on September 26.

Man steals copper wire from own work site

A father and son duo who stole copper wire from a work site at the Townsville University have both been sentenced following the theft.

Darryn James Parsons appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning after being caught using the keys his employer trusted him with, to break into a work site and steal the material, with his father Darryl James Parsons.

Police prosecutor Lennon Stathoulis said on June 11 in 2022 the son and father went to James Cook University, as the construction business had been in the process of demolishing an accommodation building, and stole copper wire at an unknown value.

The court was told CCTV caught the pair enter the worksite gate again seven days later and stole more copper and when the business realised and viewed the footage – contacted the police.

“While it’s not sophisticated as in he hasn’t tried to cover his face or attempt to conceal his identity, it was clearly premeditated,” Mr Stathoulis said.

Copper wire generic

“It involves a breach of trust, he was an employee of the business and given a key to the site and that trust has been betrayed by virtue of the offending.”

The court was told Darryn had been employed by the construction business for 10 years.

Defence barrister Dane Marley said although there was no financial value given to police he had been informed the stolen amount would not have exceeded $200.

He also said his client advised it had been a common practice for employees to take the material as it was going to be taken to the tip.

The son, Darryn pleaded guilty to enter premises to commit an indictable offence, possessing explosives and tainted property.

He was fined $3000 and ordered to pay the sum within a month, or would serve three days in prison as default. No convictions were recorded.

The father, Darryl, pleaded guilty to entering premises to commit an indictable offence, fraud, possessing and producing drugs, possessing tainted property and possessing a weapon on May 27.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, released on parole immediately.

Originally published as Townsville Magistrates Court wrap up: Jealous boyfriend, motorcyclist crash and copper wire thieves