Western Downs car thief Dylon Wedrat in Hervey Bay court

The identity of a young LandCruiser thief, hunted down and tackled by the victim’s family and friends, can be revealed along with his 15 crimes across the Fraser Coast, Dalby and Brisbane. DETAILS, PHOTOS.

Dylon Wedrat took a LandCruiser from Torquay before being arrested after a dramatic takedown.

A young car thief, taken down in a dramatic daytime citizen’s arrest after taking a car from a Hervey Bay beach, has been sentenced for that crime and 15 others committed across Queensland.

Dylon Wedrat, 22, from Kaimkillenbun in the Western Downs pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court to unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The court heard that about 4:54pm on Monday the victim was at Torquay Beach near the Hervey Bay Surf Club and had left his car keys and mobile phone on a staircase.

These keys and phone were subsequently taken by Wedrat in a move labelled as “opportunistic” by police prosecutor Sonia Edwards.

Sergeant Edwards told the court Wedrat took off in the victim’s 79 Toyota LandCruiser driving along Bideford St from Torquay to Wondunna.

Car thief Dylan Wedrat was arrested in dramatic scenes opposite the Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre.

When he reached the Bideford St, Boundary Road intersection next to the Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre he pulled over and dumped numerous objects behind a tree.

The joy ride ended here as his attempt to restart the vehicle failed and the victim’s friends stopped him and pinned him to the ground until police arrived on the scene.

Wedrat was then transported to Hervey Bay Police Station where he was breath tested and blew 0.084 before being interviewed about the incident.

Sgt Edwards said Wedrat showed “total blatant disrespect to another person’s property” and was “lucky police got there when they did as the victim was rightly upset.”

Dylon Wedrat allegedly took a ute from Torquay before being arrested after a dramatic takedown.

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Along with the unlawful use charge Wedrat pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, driving while a relevant drug is present in blood/saliva, two counts of driving with a SPER suspended license, driving an unregistered vehicle, using a vehicle for which a number plate attached is for another vehicle, two counts of contravening a police officer’s directions, two counts of failure to appear in court, possessing a knife in a public place, possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, failing to properly dispose of a needle and syringe, possessing a used pipe and driving while over the general alcohol limit.

The court heard the charges stemmed from offences committed across the Fraser Coast, Dalby and Brisbane between May, 2023 and this week.

Dylon Wedrat appeared in Hervey Bay Magistrate Court on March 5, 2024

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Duty lawyer Kade Eames told the court his client had a history of substance abuse.

“The defendant was intoxicated and not in a right state at the time of the incident.”

“He has made a very poor decision,” Mr Eames told the court.

Wedrat was placed on 12 months' probation and must complete 80 hours of community service.

Convictions were recorded.