Gary Andrew Fergusson jailed over $25k Emerald jewellery heist

A career criminal who has racked up a 19-page record claims he now sees he’s ‘getting too old for this’ after being jailed for drug supplies and a ‘panicked’ decision.

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A career criminal carried out a $25,000 jewellery heist on Boxing Day and was busted ordering drugs via the snail mail system.

Gary Andrew Fergusson, 54, had a 19-page criminal history when he fronted Rockhampton District Court on May 15.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said Fergusson also agreed to supply two balls (one ball is 3.5 grams) of methamphetamines by putting someone in contact with a supplier, along with trying to obtain some marijuana, between September and December in 2022.

He said Fergusson also possessed about one gram of marijuana.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Ireland-born Fergusson, and a 31-year-old female co-offender, broke into an Emerald jewellery store on Boxing Day in 2022 wearing a balaclava and gloves, but Fergusson’s distinctive hair colour at the back of his head was caught on CCTV and gave his identity away.

“(Fergusson) broke in using a screwdriver to force open the window,” he said.

The court heard the pair caused $1500 damages which was part of the $25,000 figure and the store owners made a $21,000 insurance claim.

“There was other CCTV footage of you and the woman carrying the distinctive bags that have been stolen from the store and those bags were found dumped near the motel the two of you were occupying with her fingerprints on the jewellery box packaging in the bag,” Judge Clarke said.

He said the screwdriver matched Fergusson’s tools and his sandshoes matched those seen in the CCTV footage.

Mr Phillips said Fergusson’s co-offender was sentenced on September 6, 2023, to six-months prison with immediate parole in the magistrates jurisdiction.

Judge Clarke said Fergusson had been detected organising drug supplies during a police operation targeting drug deals in Longreach and they intercepted a parcel following a conversation between Fergusson and a dealer, finding 17.5 grams of marijuana inside.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said her client moved to Australia from Ireland with his parents when he was three years old, with his parents separating when he was a teenager.

She said two of his siblings have died from illness and his father is also dead.

Ms Marsden said Fergusson, who has an adult daughter and a grandchild, worked as a labourer until a short stint in prison when he was about 25 years old, where he was introduced to drugs.

She said he became a heroin addict in his 20s but had overcome that before he relapsed and started using meth after being clean for 500 days prior to the sentence in the district court.

Ms Marsden said at the time of this offending, his partner at that time had a young child and he had not been working over the Christmas break so they had no money and “he panicked and did the wrong thing”.

“He instructs in the past, he would get out and go on a massive crime spree,” she said.

Ms Marsden said Fergusson recognised that relationship was not good for him so he has moved on to a more positive relationship and has “developed some insight into the fact that he’s too old for this lifestyle”.

She said he has previously worked on a trawler and can return to that work when released from custody.

Fergusson pleaded guilty to three counts of drug supplies, one of possessing drugs and one of entering premises and stealing.

He was sentenced to 3.5 years prison with 524 days presentence custody declared as time already served and immediately parole eligibility.