Jamie Luke Alford pleads guilty to break and enter, stealing car

A Qld dad with a six-page criminal history used up his last chance with the courts when he stole a vintage car from the rural owner who had bought it brand new 57 years ago.

Kandanga's Jamie Luke Alford, 37 (pictured), has been jailed for the theft of a 1966 Ford Falcon from a shed at Gympie.

A 37-year-old Kandanga father has been locked behind bars for not only the “brazen” theft of a vintage car from a Gympie shed, but then returning to the scene of the crime for “nefarious” reasons a month later.

Jamie Luke Alford sat in the dock for his sentencing in Gympie Magistrates Court, which took more than an hour owing to his extensive and complex history of offending.

He was on parole at the time he committed his latest crimes, which involved the theft of the vintage 1966 Ford Falcon sedan on March 3, 2023, from a shed which he entered through a window.

The court heard Alford stole the vehicle with the help of his father, who he had lied to, and a towing company he had engaged.

Police prosecutor Christie Mahoney said Alford’s crime was “not sophisticated” as he had given the company his correct name when he hired them.

The Ford Falcon stolen by Jamie Luke Alford was unregistered with flat tyres at the time it was stolen, but had been with its owner since he bought it brand new in 1966. The car remains missing.

The court heard the Ford had been in its owner’s possession since 1966 when it was bought new.

It was unregistered and had flat tyres at the time Alford stole it, and sold by him to an unknown person in New South Wales.

The court heard police had so far been unable to locate the Ford, and Alford had not revealed how much money he made from its sale.

The court heard Alford was then challenged by neighbours when he returned to the scene of the theft on April 12.

He was finally arrested by police acting under a warrant on May 7.

Police found him in possession of drugs including marijuana and methamphetamine, glass and metal pipes, and a hypodermic syringe at the time of his arrest.

Alford’s lawyer Babu Singh said his client was remorseful, and had celebrated is 37th birthday on Wednesday while in custody.

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The 1966 Ford Falcon stolen by Jamie Luke Alford, pictured in the 1970s. Despite the car’s condition having deteriorated over the years, Gympie Magistrates Court was told its value was about $50,000.

The court heard he was the father of a four-year-old daughter, and for the past five years had been living with his parents at their farm while on Centrelink.

Alford had trained as an apprentice mechanic, Mr Singh said, but never finished it after needing a hip replacement from injuries suffered in a 2009 crash.

Magistrate Raelene Ellis said Alford’s six page criminal history was “significant and aggravating”, and his offending was escalating despite being given numerous chances by the courts to get his life on track.

These chances had included a suspended sentence handed out in 2021 being extended once in 2022, and again in 2023.

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The court heard his previous crimes included the theft of a water tank from the Southside Shopping Centre by loading it onto a flat-bed trolley and pushing it out of the car park, and being caught with a box trailer which had been stolen from the Gold Nugget service centre at the Bruce Hwy.

Alford pleaded guilty to eight charges in total, including breaking and entering and commit and indictable offence, stealing, trespass, and drug and utensil possession offences.

He was sentenced to two years and three months jail, with an outstanding six month suspended sentence to be activated at the end of that period, and ordered to pay $50,000 in compensation.

Alford had already served 25 days in pre-sentence custody, will be eligible for parole on February 6, 2024.