Shane Plumb jailed for 36 offences including fraud, stealing, drugs

A drug-addicted thief bit off more than he could chew when he started rummaging through an Ipswich man’s garage. Here’s how a brave homeowner gave him his just desserts.

An Ipswich criminal who was caught red-handed rummaging through a man’s garage ran away to his mother’s house to get a knife, before returning to the house in an attempt to get what he was looking for.

A court this week heard it was a bad move for Shane Plumb, 39, with the resident quickly turning the tables on Plumb, overpowering him and tying him up for police to come and make a simple arrest.

Plumb pleaded guilty via videolink in Ipswich Magistrates Court this week to 36 offences.

They included two charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, four charges of evading police, three charges of fraud, two charges of stealing, possessing a knife in a public place, and myriad drug and traffic offences.

The offending largely occurred in 2018–19.

Lowlights of Plumb’s crime spree included unlawfully using a Ford Falcon belonging to a Leichhardt man who was arrested and placed in custody in June 2018, with the vehicle not recovered until December at Brassall, and crashing a stolen Jeep into a pole in May 2020 after evading police and then fleeing the scene.

Plumb has spent 171 days remanded in pre-sentence custody.

Defence lawyer Andrew Bale said Plumb had a very traumatic upbringing with great difficulties.

“He grew up in boys’ homes and left school at grade seven,” Mr Bale said.

“At age 10 he was introduced to cannabis and graduated to heroin at 13. Has a longstanding issue with drugs.”

However, Mr Bale said Plumb now seemed to have turned the corner.

He had been upgrading his skills while in jail, joined the subutex drug program and had the support of a new partner,” Mr Bale said.

“It is quite clear it (offending) was all drug related,” Mr Bale said.

Magistrate David Shepherd sentenced Plumb to an overall jail term of 16 months with immediate parole release.

Plumb was also disqualified from driving for two years.