NAMED: Seven criminal tradies from Ipswich
From fraudsters to drug dealers, Ipswich is home to a number of criminal tradies. See our full list of recent offenders.
Police & Courts
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Trade workers across Ipswich have fronted local courts in the past year, charged with offences ranging from attempted fraud to drug dealing.
Crimes including drug trafficking, supplying and possessing are particularly rife among the region’s tradies.
More than 515 drug offences have been committed across the Ipswich local government area in the past three months, up from 423 in the preceding quarter.
See our list of Ipswich criminal tradies convicted since April last year:
ASHLEY PALMER
A police sting targeting drug trafficking in the Ipswich area led police to construction worker Ashley Boyd late last year, when he was identified as a contact of two traffickers who officers were investigating.
Police discovered the 41-year-old was dealing drugs including meth, marijuana, and MDMA to six people between July and October 2020.
Boyd pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on November 3 last year to nine counts of supplying schedule two dangerous drugs and one count of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
He also pleaded guilty to five summary offences; two charges of possessing dangerous drugs and one charge each of fail to properly dispose of needle and syringe, possessing utensils or pipes for use, and obtain restricted drug when not endorsed under regulation.
The court heard at the time that Palmer “demonstrated a casual confidence” in his ability to source and supply drugs.
The tradie was given a head sentence of two years’ imprisonment and released on immediate parole.
HARLEY PEARSON
A scaffolder and former Ipswich man, 24-year-old Harley Pearson recently pleaded guilty in a Brisbane court to offences including drug trafficking and supplying a schedule two dangerous drug.
In December last year, Brisbane District Court heard Pearson had a cannabis dependency which, along with financial motivations, fuelled his decision to launch a drug-trafficking operation.
A police search warrant executed on August 21, 2020 revealed cannabis, methamphetamine, a bong, and other drug paraphernalia were in Pearson’s possession, while a search of his phone uncovered his trafficking and cannabis supply.
In a 42-day period, it is understood he supplied cannabis 83 times to 48 customers. The court heard he made a $400 profit for every $2500 he moved.
Pearson’s counsel Rob Carroll told the court last year that two factors led to his client’s behaviour: his cannabis “problem” and his inability to work, or afford rent, due to a sporting injury.
The man was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with immediate parole release.
JAMIE HANRAHAN
A pair of tradie brothers faced sentence late last year after pleading guilty to entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence.
Jamie Hanrahan, a tradesman and father, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court in November last year in relation to a home invasion that occurred in August 2020.
The court heard the man and his brother Mathew Hanrahan had been driving to the tip when they spotted the car of a 57-year-old man who had borrowed a heavy jack from one of them.
The pair followed the man home in their car and an argument ensued. Jamie grabbed the man by the throat, pushed him onto the table, and began punching him, along with Mathew, until he fell to the ground.
Both brothers left the house when the victim’s 80-year-old mother yelled in distress.
Jamie was sentenced to 12 months’ jail with bail set to March 2 this year.
MATHEW HANRAHAN
Mathew Hanrahan appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court in November last year, alongside his brother Jamie, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence.
The man is understood to have been behind the wheel when he and his brother spotted the victim, quickly turning around to follow his car home.
Mathew, a Moody Civil & Pipe worker, was also sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with a bail release date of March 2.
At the time of the verdict, the court heard he had a 16-year-old daughter and a partner.
JOSEPH SPIJKERS
Plumber Joseph Spijkers, who is in his late 30s, appeared in Ipswich District Court mid-last year for breaching a suspended sentence imposed after he produced ice.
The court heard the tradie had the relevant ingredients to produce the drug, but the product was not cooked properly and turned to liquid.
He was subsequently sentenced to a 12-month jail term suspended for two years.
In February 2020, he was dealt with for breaching the sentence with minor drug-related offences.
Later that year, on March 13, he was caught drink driving. Two months later, he was caught driving while disqualified.
On April 22, 2020, he was found to be in possession of dangerous drugs. Spijkers was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment which was immediately suspended for two years.
The court heard the man was a “hardworking plumber” in his early 30s when he became addicted to methylamphetamine.
He received a 12-month jail order with immediate parole.
QUAN VAN DAU
A decision was made in an Ipswich court last year to deport tiler Quan van Dau, 32, after he was found to have been trafficking cannabis.
The tradie pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court in August to five drug-related offences including, most seriously, trafficking in cannabis and two counts of possessing cannabis in excess of 500g.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing cash and a mobile phone suspected to be related to his drug business.
The court heard the trafficking occurred between December 27, 2019 and April 13, 2020.
Dau supplied wholesale amounts of cannabis of up to 11kg to his contact and offered to supply amounts of up to 90kg, all the while operating in a “very businesslike manner”.
His operation was busted at Willowbank on February 17 last year, when he was found to have 29.5kg of cannabis and $1000 cash in his possession.
Two months later, on April 13, he was found with a further 11.5kg of cannabis.
Judge Dennis Lynch QC sentenced Dau to serve 12 months of a five-year head sentence, with the other four years suspended for a period of five years.
JOSHUA SHANNON
A thrifty tradie appeared in an Ipswich court last year after attempting to use a stolen credit card to purchase a $3910 electric scooter.
Joshua Shannon pleaded guilty to two dozen charges at Ipswich Magistrates Court in August last year, after police discovered him with a bundle of copper wire that was suspected to have been stolen.
Among the charges were: six counts of receiving tainted goods, possession of methylamphetamine, attempted fraud, enter premises to steal, and unlawful use of a motorcycle.
The court heard Shannon had a history of drug offending.
Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull said at the time that the man had been in the grips of drug use and was on bail when he offended.
Shannon was sentenced to nine months’ jail for entering premises and stealing, with an additional one month for failing to appear in court.
He also received concurrent jail sentences of five months for the tainted property charges and six months for unlawful use. He was granted immediate parole.
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