Berserker Tobacconists: Charges laid over break-in from September 19
Rocks and a metal box laid on the floor of the shop after reports of a break-in last week. Police have now charged two persons over the matter. Here’s what we know.
Rockhampton
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A youth and 18-year-old have been charged over an alleged break-in at a new tobacco shop in North Rockhampton last week.
Police were first called to the Berserker Tobacconists on Clifton and Musgrave streets at 5.45am on September 19 after a triple-0 call of reports of a break-in.
A person on scene said it was a false alarm and the matter was cancelled.
The matter was then called back in later that day and police attended the shop but the scene had been cleaned up.
When a reporter from this publication visited the business around 8.30am, there was smashed glass on the footpath and rocks and a metal box on the floor of the shop, believed to be the weapons to smash the glass front door.
The doors were boarded up and a handwritten note said “please be careful broken glass”.
The business appeared to be operating as normal despite the scene as customers walked in around the rocks and purchased goods.
A police spokesperson confirmed an 18-year-old man and 15-year-old girl, both from Berserker, were charged over the matter the following day, on September 20.
The 18-year-old man, Ian Duane Armstorng, was charged with three counts of breach of bail, two counts each of enter premises, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and one count each of burglary, attempted burglary, enter premises.
He was remanded in custody when charged and had two court appearances in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court last week.
The matters were adjourned on each occasion and he was remanded in custody with his next court date on September 26.
The 15-year-old Berserker girl was charged with five counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of enter premises, stealing, and one count each of attempted burglary, burglary.
She is due to face Rockhampton Children’s Court at a later date.
The break-in comes just days after this publication published an article on Friday about the business being paid by a visit by Queensland Health and police earlier in the week.
The business opened at the beginning of the month and sells vapes, cigarettes and other tobacco related products.
On Monday morning, the store had tobacco products including papers and vapes on display in glass cabinets.
The Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998 states the “fleeting incidental view by a customer of an area of no more than 1 sqm of smoking products is permitted only to the extent required to carry out activities in the ordinary course of the supplier’s business”.
Fines for these offences range from $551.40 and up to $19,299 in court.
Vapes or vape products cannot be displayed, advertised or promoted at retail outlets, or sold to those under 18.
It is also illegal to sell vapes containing nicotine in Queensland, unless the customer has a prescription and it is supplied from a pharmacist.
Under the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996, for a person to manufacture, obtain, possess, prescribe, dispense, sell, advertise, use or destroy nicotine, unless the person is specifically authorised or holds an approval under the HDPR and the maximum penalty for someone importing the products is $9,108.
A photo has also shown the store is selling branded cigarette packets.
Plain tobacco packaging, known as the generic yellow and green/brown colours, was introduced by the Australian Government in 2012.
Under the Act, the maximum penalty in court for supplying a smoking object that promotes trademarks, brand names or the manufacturer is $19,299.
There is an ATM inside the shop and all transactions are cash only.
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