Shane Bowman speaks out against the spray painter who lost his car visiting a prostitute

What was meant to be a ‘quick and easy’ $500 spray painting job turned into months of frustration for a Sarina car owner thanks to the spray painter’s decision to visit a sex worker.

It was just after 7pm on a Monday when Sarina man Shane Bowman received a call from police telling him his car had been used in a high speed car chase.

The news shocked Mr Bowman who had assumed his beloved Ford Ranger was safely parked in a Sarina spray painter’s workshop, where he had taken it only days earlier.

But what was meant to be a “quick and easy” job giving the ute’s sun bleached bonnet a spruce quickly escalated when 28-year-old Cameron John Dent used his client’s Ranger to visit a prostitute.

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.

While the spray painter had initially told police he had used Mr Bowman’s Ranger to drop a friend to Caneland Shopping Centre in Mackay for colour matching, his defence lawyer revealed in the court his client had a slight detour.

During the 28 year old’s “personal errand”, the ute was stolen and later used in a high speed police evasion.

Mr Bowman’s ute has not been found.

The news has rocked Mr Bowman who was setting up his Ranger for a trip around Australia later this year.

“I gave him $500 in cash, it’s like I gave him $500 to go to the hookers,” the 55-year-old said.

“I was absolutely dismayed that my 2009 Ford Ranger could be involved in a high speed car chase.”

When police contacted him, Mr Bowman said he thought someone had just stolen the number plates.

“My car just didn’t go that fast,” he said.

“[My car] was meant to go around Australia, not 120km an hour through Marlborough.”

Mr Bowman said while the Ranger itself was insured, all of his tools and camping gear including solar panels and a fridge were not.

He estimated he had lost several thousand dollars and personal items including stacks of paperwork.

“Someone has a new Engel fridge, a dual battery system, all solar powered,” Mr Bowman said.

But the loss of his car isn’t what haunts him the most.

“The fact that they used it in a high speed chase — my kids could have been on that road,” Mr Bowman said.

If he could speak to the unknown culprit, Mr Bowman said he would tell them “don’t kill anybody, don’t kill yourself”.

The sun bleached bonnet Shane Bowman wanted painted. Picture: Contributed

He said the last thing he wanted was for his car to be involved in a crash that took someone’s life.

In court, Dent was sentenced to three months jail wholly suspended for all his charges. The jail sentence will hang over his head for 18 months.

He was also fined a total of $1300, ordered to pay $600 restitution to Mr Bowman and banned from the Sarina Hotel for six months..

Mr Bowman said he did not want anyone else getting caught up in the spray painter’s mischief.

“He has a blatant disrespect for everyone,” Mr Bowman said.