Marsden’s Taylor Royce Murray faces Ipswich Court for break ins, assault, stealing meat truck

A Logan man was found shirtless and “sweating profusely” trying to sell stolen meats at a timber mill north of Brisbane after driving two hours from an Ipswich shopping centre in a stolen meat truck.

A Logan man was found shirtless and “sweating profusely” trying to sell stolen meats at a timber mill north of Brisbane after driving two hours from an Ipswich shopping centre in a stolen meat truck. Generic image.

A Logan man has faced a Southeast Queensland Court for a bizarre array of offences, including stealing a meat truck and trying to sell its contents while “shirtless” and “sweating profusely” at a timber mill a two-hour drive away.

Marsden resident Taylor Royce Murray faced Ipswich Magistrates’ Court from behind bars on his 34th birthday, February 15.

Murray pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a motor vehicle, assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts of enter premises and commit an indictable offence, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, attempted enter premises and commit indictable offence, and using a restricted computer without consent and cause/intend to cause detriment, damage or gain.

The court heard Murray’s offending occurred between February 25, 2022, and December 19, 2023.

On that December date, he had stumbled upon an unattended Darra Meats delivery truck at Redbank Plaza, the court heard.

Magistrate Robert Walker said Murray got into the truck and drove it for over two hours to a timber mill in Blackbutt.

Police received reports of the meat truck being seen driving erratically, the court heard.

Mr Walker said they eventually found Murray “shirtless, sweating profusely” while “attempting to sell the meat” from the truck.

The court heard police found the truck driver’s phone inside the truck, but Murray told him it was his own, and even provided them with the passcode which successfully unlocked it.

“The victim told police that he didn’t have a passcode,” Mr Walker explained.

Murray had been remanded in custody for 58 days since that offence.

His other offending included stealing an iPad from a Toowoomba electronic store, trying to break into a car, and stealing his neighbour’s TV.

The court heard Murray also punched a man repeatedly in the face “without any warning” at a licenced premises in Goodna, knocking man to the ground.

Mr Walker noted Murray told police he had thought the man was a friend who owed him money, and had also reported hearing voices at the time.

The court heard Murray had previously been diagnosed with drug induced psychosis, which was later re-diagnosed as schizophrenia.

Mr Walker said that diagnosis helped explain Murray’s more “bizarre” aspects of his offending.

He noted Murray had a “significant” criminal history.

Defence lawyer Andrew Palombo said Murray had struggled with his mental health and substance abuse issues.

But he said Murray now had mental health and housing support to help him manage those issues.

Murray received a head sentence of 12 months jail with immediate parole release, and 58 days in presentence custody declared time-served.