Darryl Stewart Catlin allegedly broke into Yeppoon home while on meth

A drug user allegedly violently shook a fence until he broke away a paling then used it to smash into a stranger’s house. Find out the alleged reason why here.

Darryl Stewart Catlin allegedly broke into Yeppoon home while on meth

A drug user recently released from prison for an assault offence allegedly violently shook a fence until he broke away a paling, then used it to smash into a stranger’s house he claimed he was protecting.

Darryl Stewart Catlin, 41, made an application for bail in Rockhampton Magistrates Court today (July 15) after recent charges were laid over the alleged violent incident.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Peter Rumford said Mr Catlin had been sentenced to 15 months prison on February 13, 2025, for a conviction of assault occasioning bodily harm and he was released on parole on June 24.

He said it was alleged Mr Catlin damaged a fence at a Yeppoon residence by holding it and rocking it back and forth “violently, causing the fence post to become dislodged and the panel falling to the ground”.

Snr Constable Rumford said this took place at 6am on July 12 and the victim, “who was obviously terrified, I would assume”, has gone under the house, gone downstairs and allegedly observed Mr Catlin pick up a lump of wood from the garden and use it to smash the glass panel.

He said it was alleged Mr Catlin then entered the house where he remained for five minutes, smashing another glass panel with a piece of wood before exiting through the panel.

Snr Constable Rumford said it was alleged Mr Catlin walked down the street but returned to the dwelling, entering the house and staying there until police arrived two or three minutes later.

He said when police arrived, Mr Catlin allegedly left the dwelling and a police officer drew their taser and directed the defendant to drop to the ground to which he complied.

Snr Constable Rumford said it was alleged that Mr Catlin was found to have shards of the broken glass panels on his clothing.

He said while speaking with police, Mr Catlin allegedly told them he “believed he was saving the people in the dwelling despite not knowing the resident”.

The court heard Mr Catlin was released from police custody but arrested two days later on an outstanding warrant.

Darryl Stewart Catlin.

“I’m sure most people would be concerned or feel violated, in the darkness of a winter’s morning when some unknown person has violently entered their house,” Snr Constable Rumford said.

He said it was alleged Mr Catlin admitted he had used a couple of points of methamphetamine that night.

Snr Constable Rumford said Mr Catlin’s lengthy criminal record included convictions for property offences, assaults, obstruct police, breaching bail and other violent offences.

Defence lawyer Felicity Davis said there had not yet been a Return to Prison warrant created by the time the bail application was made.

She submitted that Mr Catlin would likely get a suspended sentence if convicted of the charges now before the court.

Ms Davis said Mr Catlin had been living with his parents at Farnborough since his release from custody and had lined up employment sandblasting and painting with FMS Mining Mackay at Moranbah.

She said the defendant’s mother has terminal breast cancer and is likely to die while he was remanded in custody if bail was refused.

Ms Davis said the father of two was using drugs at the time after relapsing but had made positive steps towards rehabilitation via gaining employment.

Magistrate Lance Rundle ruled Mr Catlin was at risk of committing further offences and denied to grant him bail.

Mr Catlin’s charges are one count each of wilful damage, enter dwelling and commit and fail to take reasonable care of used syringe.

He has not entered any pleas and was remanded in custody with his next appearance in court to be on July 31.