Christopher Ronald Alexander Whitehead pleads guilty in Mackay court to 52 charges
It’s taken a Queensland magistrate 15 minutes to read through the whopping list of charges laid against a serial car thief who stole from homes, service stations and a supermarket.
Police & Courts
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A West Mackay man has added 52 fresh charges to his already lengthy rap sheet after he repeatedly stole diesel, cars, and drove while disqualified over a seven-month period.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Christopher Ronald Alexander Whitehead’s latest crime spree began in May of last year and did not end until Christmas Day.
Acting Magistrate John Aberdeen spent about 15 minutes reading through the charges with the first dated between May 30 and June 2, 2021, when Whitehead broke into and stole from a Baker Creek resident’s home.
Then, on September 12, Whitehead was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and driving while disqualified, also at Bakers Creek.
A week later, he was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle at Sarina, and then the week after that on September 26, he was charged with obstructing a police officer.
On September 27, Whitehead agreed to front Mackay Magistrates Court on October 13, but he did not show.
Then, between October 19 and 31, he was again charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
In December, the offending escalated as Whitehead was charged with four counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing diesel, five counts of driving while disqualified, failing to stop as soon as reasonably practical after a police direction, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and damaging police property.
He was further charged with two counts of possessing Queensland registration plates reasonably believed to be tainted; possessing keys believed to be tainted, three counts of stealing, and intent to commit an indictable offence.
The court heard Whitehead’s targets were private homes, Paget businesses including EG Ampol, a BP, and G & S Engineering, an IGA supermarket and Martinus Rail in Clermont and a Ozborn Nebo Family Trust-owned service station in Nebo.
Mr Morton said police further charged Whitehead with arson as well as breaching an intensive corrections order entered into on September 8 last year for 16 convictions related to charges dated March 9, 2021.
These charges included stealing, disqualified driving, multiple possessions of tainted property, wilful damage, possession of a knife in public, possession of utensils or pipes used in connection with a dangerous drug, and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle.
The court also heard there were a further 13 prior stealing convictions from September 2019.
Whitehead pleaded guilty to all 52 charges presented during Thursday’s court session.
A long plea date was set for October 27.
He was remanded in custody at Capricornia Correctional Centre.
FULL CHARGES
May 30 - June 2, 2021: Enter premises, stealing, gained entry via break
September 12, 2021: Unlawful use of motor vehicle, disqualified driving
September 19, 2021: Unlawful use of motor vehicle
September 26, 2021: Obstruct police
October 13, 2021: Fail to surrender into custody
October 19-31, 2021: Unlawful use of motor vehicle
December 2-20, 2021: Possession of tainted property
December 4: Unlawful use of motor vehicle, disqualified driving, stealing petrol
December 8: Stealing
December 18: Multiple disqualified driving offences, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, received tainted property, multiple stealing offences, failure to stop, contravene direction of police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, commit indictable offence, damaging police property
December 23-27: Receive tainted property, unlawful use of motor vehicle, stealing, unlicensed driving, arson
Various dates: Beaching intensive correction order entered into on March 9, 2021 for previous offences including: stealing after previous conviction, driving without licence, 4 x possess tainted property, 2 x driving without a license disqualified by court order, dangerous operations of a vehicle, possess utensil or pipe, possess knife in public, drug driving, driving without license disqualified repeat offender, 2 x unlawful use motor vehicle, wilful damage and unlawful possession of motor vehicle
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