Christopher Ronald Alexander Whitehead sentenced to three years in prison for arson

The Central Qld man had struggled for years with a meth addiction before setting fire to a $45,000 car. Now he’s made a pledge for the sake of his newborn baby.

A Mackay man has pledged to “wake up” to himself and rebuild his life for his new baby after he was arrested for setting a $45,000 car on fire.

Christopher Ronald Alexander Whitehead took the expensive vehicle at 1.30am on December 18 before driving it through Mackay and out to Clermont and Frankfield across December 18 and 19, 2021.

On the night of December 19, the car was found on fire at Frankfield and police identified Whitehead’s fingerprints from inside the burned vehicle.

Whitehead initially denied setting the vehicle on fire but he was taken into custody on December 26 and he pleaded guilty at Mackay District Court on September 29 to one count of arson.

The court heard Whitehead’s life fell apart after a separation from his former partner in 2014.

Whitehead was committed to Mackay Base Hospital in 2014 and 2015 for suicidal ideation and developed a methylamphetamine habit in 2017 and 2018.

Whitehead, a bricklayer, has an extensive criminal history, including a conviction for robbery.

At the time he committed arson, Whitehead was subject to five separate suspended terms of imprisonment.

Crown Prosecutor Michelle Parfitt asked for a three to three-and-a-half year prison sentence.

“This is appropriate and necessary to reflect the serious nature of the offending,” she said.

Whitehead has served 277 days in custody and the court heard he had become a father to his third child from a new relationship.

Defence solicitor Scott McLennan said his client had told him he was committed to turning his life around.

“He (Whitehead) told me, ‘I’ve had a baby since I’ve been in custody, I haven’t even met her yet, I need to wake up to myself. I need to stay away from drugs and do some work’,” Mr McLennan said.

Mr McLennan requested a two-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Before his sentence, Judge Lynham said Whitehead had accumulated an “appalling” criminal history.

“It now runs for six pages,” he said.

“Quite frankly at the age of 35, you are getting too old to go in and out of jail. You have got to take stock of your life.

“If it is the case you have a good trade to fall back on, now is the time to do something with that trade.

“Get yourself a job and start working hard.”

Judge Lynham sentenced Whitehead to three years in prison with a parole release date of December 24, 2022.