Wade Robert Lally sentenced for Bunnings attempted fraud, stealing from Autobarn Mackay
A concreter and father of five busted for attempted fraud and stealing was found hiding in a cupboard when police raided his home. VIDEO
Police & Courts
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From swapping price tags at Bunnings then running away when he was caught to hiding in a cupboard when police stormed his home, a Mackay dad has faced the music for attempted fraud and stealing.
Wade Robert Lally was sentenced at Mackay courthouse on Friday for a raft of 16 charges, which also included obstructing police, and meth possession.
Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said police found 1.7g meth, a small amount of cannabis, drug utensils during the raid on June 18 last year, noting the obstruction charge came out of the 43 year old’s improvised hiding spot because he was “making police work more difficult”.
“You were at Bunnings with your partner at that point, January 11, 2023, there was an attempted fraud with tags swapped on items,” she said.
“Ultimately those items were left behind.”
The court heard Lally’s offending stretched from March 12, 2022, through to February 3, 2024, with several charges related to stealing from Autobarn Mackay in Mount Pleasant where Ms Hartigan said he “kept going back”.
Lally pleaded guilty to attempted fraud, obstruct police, four counts of possessing dangerous drugs, four counts of stealing after previous conviction, two counts of possessing drug utensils, failure to appear, unlicensed driving, drug driving, and failing to properly dispose of a syringe.
Defence lawyer Danny Yarrow told the court his client had been a concreter but was currently on Jobseeker, and knew he was going to lose his licence due to his driving charges.
The court heard Lally had five children, with three living with him and his long-term partner.
Mr Yarrow urged the offences could be addressed with fines.
Hartigan said she agreed as, despite the previous convictions, Lally’s criminal history “had some age to it” and took his early guilty pleas into account.
Lally was ordered to pay $1000 in SPER restitution to Autobarn Mackay.
He was fined a total of $2,300; $300 for the attempted fraud, $300 for drug possession, $300 for drug possession, $200 for fail to appear, $200 for fail to dispose of syringe, $200 for unlicensed driving, $300 for drug driving, and the June 18th offences were rolled into one $500 fine.
Lally’s licence was disqualified for the mandatory one month minimum.
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