Sarina spray painter Cameron John Dent used customer car to visit prostitute

A spray painter copped a hard lesson when his visit to a sex worker led him to run afoul of the law.

A Sarina spray painter with a history of being a “pest” was caught out when he unlawfully used his customer’s car to enjoy a “personal errand”.

In May this year, the owner of a Ford Ranger took his car to Cameron John Dent to repaint the vehicle’s body and fix some wiring issues.

But five days after he dropped off the car, the owner was shocked to receive a call from police that his Ranger had been used in a crime.

Initially, Dent had been charged with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle, but he convinced the authorities that was not the case.

The spray painter had initially told police he had used his customer’s Ford Ranger to drop a friend to Caneland Shopping Centre in Mackay — a tale his defence lawyer Ashley Reynolds confessed had missed a slight detour.

“He took [the car] into town to get the front-end colour matched,” Ms Reynolds said,

“But, on his way in he didn’t take it to Caneland.

“He stopped to see a prostitute.”

The court heard it was during Dent’s “personal errand” that the car was stolen, along with Dent’s own belongings.

Cameron John Dent changed his tale, confessing to police he stopped to see a prostitute when his client’s car was stolen. Picture: Facebook

Ms Reynolds told the court this was why the Ford Ranger was parked on an “unknown street” with Dent’s “wallet and keys still in the car”.

It was later that evening Dent’s client received a phone call informing him that the car he had assumed was safely parked in the spray painter’s shed had been used to evade police.

Dent’s charge was lowered to unlawful possession of a motor vehicle.

In her submissions, Ms Reynolds told the court Dent had moved to Sarina for a “woman”, a relationship which had eventually deteriorated to being “toxic”.

She said Dent continued to have a strong relationship with his 70-year-old former father-in-law, who he lived with and cared for in his Sarina home.

The court heard the pair enjoyed drinking at the local pub, a past-time that was also getting Dent into trouble.

Dent ‘bit a constables arm’ breaking the skin. Picture: Facebook

Prosecutor Harry Coburn said Dent had been a “pest” at the Sarina Hotel and had been involved in various altercations with police at the venue.

In July 2020, police had found Dent drunkenly urinating on a power pole outside the pub.

Mr Coburn said police had attempted to fine him, but Dent became aggressive calling them “f---king pets” and “f---king white c--ts”.

He clenched his fists walking to police yelling “are you scared of me” and “are you scared”, refusing their directions telling him to lie on the ground.

After a struggle, police eventually detained him and had to “lift him” into the rear of the police car.

During the commotion, Dent bit into a constable’s arm breaking the skin.

He was charged with assault of a police officer.

Dent’s most recent offence was on June 4, 2021, where he again had a run-in with police following a drunken altercation outside the Sarina Hotel.

The court heard a staff member had called police telling them two men were fighting at the rear of the pub.

Mr Coburn said when police arrived, they found Dent “with his shirt off and fists raised”.

After police separated the pair, Dent told them he needed his “shift, tobacco and necklace”, which he had left to the side before entering into the fight.

Police found Dent ‘with his shirt off and fists raised’. Picture: Facebook

When he couldn’t find his necklace, which Dent claimed was given to him when he was 16 by his grandmother, he began charging at police.

Police eventually restrained him and arrested the spray painter for public nuisance.

Dent pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court on September 15 to obstructing police, assault of a police officer, failure to appear and unlawful possession of a vehicle, two counts of public nuisance.

In her sentencing, Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan took into consideration Dent’s history which included various offences of public nuisance.

“He set out with a lawful purpose, but then it became unlawful when he used it for his own private business — which he should never have done as a business owner,” Mrs Hartigan said.

Dent was sentenced to three months jail wholly suspended. The jail sentence will hang over his head for 18 months.

He was fined a total of $1300 and ordered to pay $600 restitution to the Ford Ranger’s owner.

He was banned from the Sarina Hotel for six months.