Ryleigh William Aristide Gibbon in court for break-in, stealing weapons

A concreter has been jailed for his role in a rural break-in north of Gympie that involved stolen guns and cars, and which led police to his meth and cocaine stash.

Ryleigh William Aristide Gibbon was sentenced in Gympie Magistrates Court on February 21, 2023.

A concreter found himself in a wild car chase during which shots were fired out the window after a Bauple home owner arrived home to find two people had broken in to his property.

Ryleigh William Aristide Gibbon, 30, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday for possessing a huge range of stolen items, including guns and ammunition, and for break and enter.

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Magistrate Chris Callaghan said Gibbon’s most serious offence was breaking into a Bauple property on September 17, 2022.

Gibbon and his alleged co-offender broke the front door and cut a hole into a safe inside the bedroom, stealing four firearms and a box of ammunition, the court heard.

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They jumped into a stolen Landcruiser with no registration plates and took off just as the property owner came home.

The Landcruiser rammed the victim’s car and a chase ensued between the two vehicles.

As Gibbon’s car neared the property gate, a gun was fired from the passenger window toward the other car, the court heard.

It was not known whether Gibbon was the driver or the passenger who shot the gun.

“It doesn’t matter to me, you are responsible for both,” Mr Callaghan said.

Ryleigh Gibbon appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court on February 21, 2023.

Police later found the Landcruiser completely burnt out with items stolen from other properties inside.

When Gibbon was arrested in Curra on September 23, police found cocaine, meth, a glass pipe, knife, taser and knuckledusters.

They also found tainted property, including a stolen motorcycle, car keys, laptop, computer, two electronic tablets, tools, pocket knife, card and saxophone.

Defence lawyer Neesha Maidwell told the court Gibbon was a father of three and had worked in the concreting industry for 12 years.

His mother and partner were in the public gallery.

Ms Maidwell said Gibbon began using drugs 10 years ago to cope with pain from a car accident. His drug use then escalated in April 2022.

Gibbon held his hands together in front of him and then crossed his arms, staring straight ahead, as his sentence was handed down.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment to be eligible for parole after serving 15 months. Gibbon had already served 152 days in pre-sentence custody and will be eligible for parole from December 22, 2023.

Gibbon was convicted of three counts of possessing tainted property, one count of possessing suspected tainted property, two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, entering a dwelling and stealing property, two counts of possessing drugs, possessing a taser, possessing knuckle-busters, possessing a knife in a public place and possessing a glass pipe.