Jeremy Stephen Allan Clayton pleads guilty to fraud, attempted fraud

A man is behind bars after being caught writing out cheques that had been stolen during a burglary, in addition to a raft of other offences.

Jeremy Clayton was jailed after pleading guilty to fraud offences adding up to more than $47,000.

A TRUCK driver who ended up with $47,000 in stolen cheques has been jailed for at least 11 months after pleading guilty to fraud, burglary and stealing.

A subdued Jeremy Clayton entered the dock of the Ipswich Magistrates Court as he faced sentence this week.

Jeremy Stephen Allan Clayton, 38, who has lived at Plainlands and Redbank Plains, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court to committing a $47,580 fraud at Pallara between August 22, 2019 and September 22, 2019; and attempted fraud of $34,500 in September 2019.

Clayton also pleaded guilty to a raft of other charges including entering premises and stealing; attempted unlawful use of a motor vehicle; possession of dangerous drugs; fraud – dishonestly obtain property; two counts of uttering a forged document at Goodna; entering premises by break and stealing; two counts of stealing; failing to dispose of used needle/syringe; and common assault.

He was sentenced to 33 months jail by Magistrate Gary Finger and must serve 11 months before being granted parole.

His offences included a break-in at South Ripley where a television was stolen, in addition to the theft of three shirts from Big W at Redbank, and stealing a bicycle at Goodna.

The owner of a motorbike at Auchenflower was assaulted at 4.30am on February 15 this year when Clayton tried to steal his bike from a carpark at a townhouse complex.

The court heard Clayton took a jacket and glasses.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull said Clayton had relevant criminal history and police sought a jail sentence of three years with parole after he served one-third.

Jeremy Clayton was jailed after pleading guilty to fraud offences adding up to more than $47,000.

The court heard Clayton came into possession of the cheques after a burglary, with one of the cheques apparently found in November 2019 at a Redbank Plains house where Clayton lived.

Defence lawyer Christy Louden said Clayton had been making progress on the Court-Link program and his mother died last month following a cancer diagnosis. Clayton said he cared for her while she was in a hospice.

Clayton also instructed that he had been clean of drug use for the past six months.

Magistrate Gary Finger said that while it was not sophisticated offending, it had been ongoing and Clayton was on probation at the time.

Mr Finger said the fraud involved Clayton “enriching himself”, by writing out cheques for $47,580, with an attempt to gain a further $34,000.

He had also broken into people’s homes, with the magistrate noting that his offending appeared to be drug related.

For the fraud offences Clayton received concurrent 2 ½ year jail orders.

There were additional penalties imposed on other charges including 12-months for uttering and forging, and 18 months for stealing a motorbike jacket and glasses, and four months for assault.

His total jail sentence was 33-months, with Clayton to be released on parole next June after 11 months inside.