‘They don’t want you’: 8 trespasses land Murgon man in court

A LIFE ban from Murgon IGA wasn’t going to stop Jordan Watson from doing his shopping, who racked up eight trespass charges between April and May.

Jordan Watson pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges, including eight counts of trespass, two counts of failure to properly dispose of a needle or syringe, and possessing dangerous drugs. File Photo.

A LIFE ban was not going to stop Jordan Paul Watson from shopping at the Murgon IGA, who trespassed on the store eight times before landing himself in Murgon Magistrates Court.

He pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges, including eight counts of trespass, two counts of failure to properly dispose of a needle or syringe, and possessing dangerous drugs.

According to police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stevens, Watson was given a life ban from the Murgon IGA Supermarket back in September of 2019, but even the threat of legal action could not keep him away.

At 4.30pm on April 20, 2020, Watson entered the IGA and "wondered around the outskirts of the aisles" before approaching a drinks fridge and drawing on some cans with a permanent marker. He was recognised by staff and police were called.

At 8.16am on May 1, 2020, Watson entered the IGA and approached the drinks section of the store. An employee recognised the defendant and asked him to leave, to which he refused.

That same morning, he entered the store again and approached a man in the first aisle of the store. He stayed and spoke to this person for several minutes before exiting the store.

On May 2, Watson entered the store again to purchase an item and chat with a woman. When questioned by officers, he said he attended the IGA to "help his nan" with her shopping.

At about 11.16am on May 3, he returned to the store for the fifth time, made a purchase and then left shortly after.

At 8.30am on May 8, Watson returned to the IGA again. He was recognised by staff and the police were called immediately.

At 1pm that same day, he attended The Coffee Bar at Murgon and demanded the staff provide him with free food and coffee. The defendant was known to the cafe.

After he was refused, he began removing loyalty cards from a cork board alongside the counter. Staff tried to stop Watson from stealing the loyalty cards, but he managed to take off with one.

When confronted by police, Watson said he'd found the card on the ground. He told officers he planned on using the card to get free coffee and he had no intention of returning it, saying he "did not see what the issue was".

At 4.18pm on May 31, an off-duty police spotted the defendant walking into the IGA. Once he'd spotted the officer, Watson immediately turned and left the premises. When questioned by police, he said he'd entered the store to buy smokes, even though he was aware of the life ban.

At 10.11am on June 5, Watson entered the IGA once again, walked to the express checkout and chatted with a woman. When questioned, he could not provide police with an explanation for contravening his banning notice.

On June 30, he was taken to the acute mental health unit at Toowoomba Base Hospital, where he was searched - a standard practice. Staff found 0.425 grams of meth and a syringe in his pocket.

On July 22, Watson was searched after police noticed a syringe protruding from his pocket. They located a clip sealed bag containing meth and a used syringe.

Defence lawyer Alan Korobacz said the 26-year-old's behaviour can be largely attributed to several mental health problems, including bipolar and schizophrenia, which he is now receiving treatment for.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said to Watson "they don't want you in there any more" and it's time to find a new place to shop.

He was placed on a six-month period of probation to "assist and rehabilitate" him.

Convictions were recorded.

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