Mitchell Gordon Mark, 36, pleaded guilty to 46 offences in Gladstone District Court on Monday

A Gladstone man robbed a decommissioned Central Queensland power station and stole $120,000 cash from two ATMs in a five month crime spree. Full details here.

A man who staged daring robberies at a decommissioned power plant in Central Queensland and then targeted ATMs was sentenced in Gladstone District Court on Monday.

Mitchell Gordon Mark, 36, pleaded guilty before Judge Catherine Muir to 46 charges including 11 counts of wilful damage.

Crown prosecutor Geoffrey Wong told the court that between June and October 2020, Mark committed the bulk of his offending.

“The offending of the greatest seriousness concerned Mr Mark committing offences against eight businesses in and around the Gladstone area,” Mr Wong said.

“One of those was a decommissioned coal fired power plant in Mount Murchison where he and others broke in and stole copper cabling from it.

“The total amount stolen was something in the order of 390,000 kilograms of copper cabling, but its not suggested by the Crown that he was singly responsible for the entire theft.

“The evidence suggests the theft occurred over a long period of time, involving multiple offenders on multiple occasions.”

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Mr Wong said Mark’s other concerning offending dated back to between August and September 2020.

“Whilst on bail, he actually stole or attempted to steal, with other people, ATM machines on three separate occasions,” he said.

“On the first and third occasions they were successful in that endeavour as they stole, in total, $120,000 cash.

“On the second occasion they were unsuccessful in doing so, they tried to pull the ATM machine from the wall with their car and a chain but were deterred by the arrival of security.”

Mark’s solicitor told the court his client had been in custody for nearly 15 months and while in pre-sentence custody he had been a “model prisoner”.

“Such to the extent that he is trusted in terms of being employed and also now a team leader, which comes with benefits that other prisoners don’t get,” he said.

“During his 448 days of pre-sentence custody, he has undertaken any courses which have been provided to him, he has tremendous support of his family.”

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In sentencing, Judge Muir said Mark’s guilty plea was reflective of someone who was genuinely remorseful for their offending.

“That isn’t always the case, often in times of sentencing I sit here without being satisfied that there is genuine hope and prospects of rehabilitation,” she said.

“You appear before me with relevant criminal history reflective of someone who has a significant and ongoing drug problem and are also a recidivist property offender.”

Mark was convicted and sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment, wholly suspended immediately for five years. Convictions were recorded.