Dwayne Lawrence Thomas David pleads guilty to crime spree in Mackay and Rockhampton

A recidivist car thief was high on meth when he unleashed a ‘terrifying’ crime spree across Mackay and Rockhampton. Find out what happened when he faced court.

Dwayne Lawrence Thomas David to more than 20 charges including burglary and commit indictable offence, dangerous driving, wilful damage, serious assault of a person over 60 and unlawful use of a motor vehicle between April 2022 and February 2023.

A methed-up serial car thief has been called an “extreme danger to the community” following a shocking crime spree in Rockhampton and Mackay that included a smashing his way into a home with a chainsaw.

The “terrifying” confrontation happened on February 3, 2023 at Habana after Dwayne Lawrence Thomas David had just committed four back to back burglary and car thefts across the region.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard when David, 25, could not get into the home he found a chainsaw outside and smashed through a window, as well as destroying a CCTV camera.

David brandished “an axe and a knife” at a 67-year-old man who had come to inspect a security camera alert – he threw the axe at the man, narrowly missing him, and threatened to stab two younger people also at the property.

He also punched another man, the owner of the property, in the face.

The court heard two days before David, who has never held a licence, mounted a kerb in a stolen vehicle and crashed into a street sign near a North Mackay school bus stop where a child had been waiting.

There were other children walking to school.

“He could have killed them all … it’s despicable,” Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan sentenced Dwayne Lawrence Thomas David after a violent crime spree.

David fled to a nearby home where he stole another vehicle, smashing his way through a gate and causing just under $17,000 in damage.

He was behind an attempted violent car jacking in Rockhampton where he yelled “oi” at a woman sitting in a vehicle before leaning in through the window and punching her in the face.

She believed she was momentarily knocked out and when she came to, David opened the door and struck her again.

“You started pulling and ripping at her shirt telling her to get out of the vehicle,” Ms Hartigan said.

A friend of the woman intervened and David ran away when he came across a man sitting outside a pub – he approached the man and hit him in the face without any warning.

David pleaded guilty to more than 20 charges including burglary and commit indictable offence, dangerous driving, wilful damage, serious assault of a person over 60 and unlawful use of a motor vehicle between April 2022 and February 2023.

The court heard he had a lengthy criminal history, that included wounding, armed robbery and 11 priors for unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and had spent the majority of his adult life in jail.

Ms Hartigan said short of having entries for murder, manslaughter or attempted murder “once can’t imagine having a more serious criminal history”, especially at his age.

Dwayne Lawrence Thomas David pleaded guilty to more than 20 charges including burglary and commit indictable offence, dangerous driving, wilful damage, serious assault of a person over 60 and unlawful use of a motor vehicle between April 2022 and February 2023.

“I consider you to be a danger to the community, an extreme danger to the community,” Ms Hartigan said, adding the nature of his violent offending was “unprovoked, unjustified … against people you didn’t know … and on some occasions involved weapons”.

ATSILS defence solicitor Danny Yarrow told the court a major contributing factor behind the offending was methylamphetamine use.

The court heard David instructed when he committed the Mackay crime he had been using ice for three to five days.

“The terrifying thing is that is random,” Ms Hartigan said about his conduct, adding David had been “on the move in a stolen car … to go and steal the next car”.

“I think his prospects of rehabilitation are if not non existent … very slight … but he can’t be kept in prison forever.”

The court heard he had a prejudicial upbringing that included exposure to domestic violence and alcoholism, but Ms Hartigan said David could not rely on these to explain his behaviour.

David was jailed for three years, which is the maximum penalty that can be handed down in the magistrates court.

Because he has already spent 252 days in pre sentence custody, he will be given parole release on July 12, 2023 after serving 12 months in total.

Convictions were recorded.