Ashley Ryan Williams in Rockhampton Magistrates Court for evading police

A convicted drug trafficker dad claims he’s done with the criminal world and “doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life in and out of jail” but he’ll have to do at least one more stretch behind bars first.

Ashley Ryan Williams.

A convicted drug trafficker and father is back behind bars after breaking into a person’s house and evading police.

Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard Ashley Ryan Williams, 39, was detective on CCTV via a person’s phone at their back steps on March 14.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert said Williams loitered inside the person’s home for about 10 to 15 minutes before leaving.

“There is no suggestion you stole anything, nonetheless, you broke inside someone’s house,” she said.

Williams also evaded police about 12.40am on February 17, driving through a red light on Fitzroy St after police activated their lights and sirens, the court heard.

With an 11-page criminal record, Williams was sentenced to five years’ jail in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton in 2017 for trafficking dangerous drugs.

He was later sentenced in the Supreme Court in 2022 for possessing more than 4g of methamphetamines.

The court heard he was on a suspended sentence at the time he committed the offences.

He was sentenced to one month prison, suspended for six months, on December 14, 2023, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client started using marijuana between 15 and 17 years old and progressed to using meth from 20.

She also said her client was “very sorry for his actions”.

“He said he should have stopped when police required him to,” she said, telling the court her client had four children and was distant from his family “due to his offending and the decisions he has made”.

She said her client had a plan for the future and wanted to get a job.

“He would like a very simple and casual life,” she said.

“He does not want to go back to drugs.

“He is sick and tired of his current behaviour, and he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life going in and out of prison.”

Williams pleaded guilty this month to one count each of evasion offence, driving through a red light and enter dwelling with intent.

Ms Kahlert sentenced Williams to prison for 50 days, with parole release on June 29 and declared 24 days presentence custody as time served.

Williams was also placed on probation for 15 months and disqualified from driving for two years.

Convictions were recorded.

Ms Kahlert also extended the suspended sentence by three months.