Horrific car crash halted Toowoomba mum's crime spree

A RECIDIVIST offender's one-month crime spree was brought to an abrupt halt when she was involved in a double fatal car crash.

John Weatherall was killed in the horrific two vehicle crash.

RECIDIVIST offender Shantel Ann-Maree Lucas had been running rampant on a four-week crime spree which only stopped when she was involved in an horrific car crash that left her seriously injured and two people dead.

Lucas, 34, had been a back seat passenger in a stolen vehicle allegedly driven by Jordan Cubby, 28, with Lucas's cousin John Weatherall, 32, in the front passenger seat on Gympie Road, Bald Hills, late on October 16, last year.

Police claim the stolen Mitsubishi SUV was on the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with a car driven by father of one Shahid Islam, 36, who died at the scene.

Mr Weatherall also died at the scene.

The scene of the crash on Gympie Arterial Road in which two people have died. Picture: 7 News Brisbane

Cubby was charged with two counts of manslaughter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm, serious assault, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and evading police arising from the crash.

He has been held in custody but has not as yet been required to plead to the charges.

Lucas sustained serious injuries in the crash including a broken sternum, ribs, thighbone and a dislocated shoulder and had metal plates and rods attached through a number of operations.

The mother of three spent months in hospital before being transferred to a Brisbane women's prison from where she appeared by video link before Toowoomba Magistrates Court yesterday to plead guilty to 52 offences committed during her month-long crime spree.

Those offences included seven counts of unlawfully using motor vehicles including the Mitsubishi SUV involved in the crash, 14 counts of fraud and six of attempted fraud arising from the use of stolen credit cards, six counts of stealing, three of burglary and possessing small amounts of drugs, all committed between September 16 and October 16 last year.

Most offences occurred in the Toowoomba area, the court heard.

Police prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb told the court Lucas had only been out of jail a matter of weeks when her crime spree started.

"She has an absolutely appalling 19-page criminal history and can only be considered an habitual recidivist offender," he submitted.

Her solicitor Brad Skuse said his client had been exposed to drug use and alcohol from an early age and had started drinking at age 12.

As was often the case with certain offenders, she had been released from jail but was soon mixing with old friends, he said.

Since being in prison this time his client had engaged in counselling and was working with the Sisters Inside organisation, Mr Skuse said.

Noting she was on parole for previous offences at the time of her crime spree, Magistrate Graham Lee sentenced Lucas to two years in jail but ordered she be eligible to apply for release on parole as of October 31.

Originally published as Horrific car crash halted Toowoomba mum's crime spree