Liam Phillip Thompson pleads guilty to wilful damage in Bundaberg Magistrates Court

A man with extensive criminal history has faced a Bundaberg court after he tore off a window screen and jumped from the second floor of a motel.

A Bundaberg man has faced court after he damaged a Bundaberg motel building by jumping out of a second-storey window to avoid police.

Officers were called to a Bundaberg motel on September 4, 2022, after calls were made concerning a commotion that could be heard from outside.

But when police arrived, Liam Phillip Thompson fled, tearing off a window screen and jumping from the second floor, landing on and damaging an awning below.

A towel rack was also damaged in the defendant’s efforts to avoid police.

Thompson then led police on a 40-minute chase through a number of backyards before eventually being caught by the dog squad.

The Bundaberg Magistrates Court was told on Monday that Thompson had been on 18 months’ probation at the time of the offending, the product of a sentence in the same court on June 16, 2022, for domestic violence offences.

He pleaded guilty to a number of offences including one count of wilful damage (domestic violence offence) relating to the incident at the motel.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Klaassen told the court he believed the defendant should be imprisoned for his actions.

“It would be my submission, your honour, that personal deterrence is a key factor here,” he said.

Liam Phillip Thompson pleaded guilty to a number of charges in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday.

“I’d say imprisonment is the appropriate sentence today.”

The court heard Thompson had an extensive criminal history.

The defendant’s lawyer Gavin James told the court his client had been an “intermittent” drug user and that his sister, who was present in court, would offer to house him to prevent him having to “couch surf” upon his release from custody.

In sentencing, Magistrate Edwina Rowan labelled Thompson’s behaviour as “totally unacceptable”.

It was heard he had breached a number of orders of the court including being found to be using meth and cannabis during the period of his probation.

Thompson also failed to engage in rehabilitation services offered to him.

He received a head sentence of nine months’ prison, with a parole date of December 5, 2022 with 50 days’ pre-sentence custody taken into account.

For breaching his probation, Thompson was convicted and not further punished. He was, however, resentenced over the domestic violence matters which saw him before the court in June, which led to him being on the probation he breached.

For that offending, he was resentenced to four months’ jail, to be served concurrently.