Leam Flegler sentenced in Gladstone court for crashing stolen hire car

Multiple vehicles had to take “evasive” action before a Queensland learner driver with a “horrendous" history crashed a stolen hire car into a storm drain then fled the scene.

Leam Joseph Flegler was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on April 3.

A stolen hire car ended up on its side in a storm drain after a learner driver crashed it and fled the scene on foot, a court has heard.

Leam Joseph Flegler, 27, from the Fraser Coast, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to multiple charges including unlawful use and dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving without due care and attention, and evasion.

The court heard that on February 19, police saw Flegler driving on Gladstone’s Tank Street, and they activated lights and sirens.

While the court heard he had a long history of meth use, there was no suggestion he was affected by any substances at the time.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said Flegler then drove onto the wrong side of the road and went through a red light towards oncoming traffic.

“Multiple vehicles had to take evasive action to swerve out of the path of (Flegler’s vehicle),” Ms Leach said.

The prosecutor said traffic conditions were “extremely heavy” at the time and police discontinued the pursuit.

The court also heard Flegler was an unsupervised learner driver with no-one else in the car, and he had stolen number plates attached to it.

Leam Joseph Flegler.

Later in the day, police received information that the stolen vehicle had been seen at Bororen.

They subsequently found it “on its side” in a storm drain on Dalgleish Road, and Flegler at a nearby house.

The court heard Flegler’s criminal and traffic histories were nine pages and two pages respectively and included dishonesty, property and drug offences, as well as two previous dangerous operation of a vehicle convictions and 10 prior unlawful use of motor vehicle offences.

It was also told these latest offences occurred while he was on parole.

Solicitor Cam Schroder said Flegler’s criminal history was “horrendous”, and he had spent “the majority” of his adult life in jail.

Mr Schroder said Flegler knew he had a problem with drugs and upon his release from custody, he wanted to book himself into rehab at Mackay.

Prior to sentencing on April 3, Magistrate Mary Buchanan noted Flegler was a meth addict and every time he got out of jail, he got back on meth and reoffended.

Ms Buchanan gave Flegler a head sentence of 18 months’ jail, declared 44 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and fixed parole eligibility at August 19, 2024.

She also disqualified him from driving for three years and convictions were recorded.