John Montzka stole over $110,000 of jewellery from a store in Stockland Rockhampton

A Queensland meth addict who grabbed dozens of rings worth big bucks from a shopping centre store had a surprising plan for the proceeds.

John Montzka stole over $110,000 of jewellery from a store in Stockland Rockhampton in December 2023.

A Queensland drug addict with a reputation for stealing opportunistically grabbed more than $100,000 of jewellery and used it to pay off his girlfriend’s drug debt.

John Montzka, 45, stole $110,000 of jewellery from a store in Stockland Rockhampton on December 9, 2023, and it was all captured on CCTV, Rockhampton District Court heard on Tuesday.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Montzka pushed open a side sliding door, entered the store and stole 30 rings worth $110,000.

Montzka also stole keys to a vehicle and drove away.

Judge Clarke said Montzka was apprehended days later at the Rockhampton Airport in the process of hiring a vehicle and had in his possession “half of the bounty” – 15 of the 30 rings.

Montzka also had marijuana, a knife and tainted property - $1,715 cash Judge Clarke said “which must have been the extra money that you derived from selling the jewellery after paying off your girlfriend’s drug debt”.

Crown prosecutor Matthew Sutton said while some of the items were retrieved, they were not voluntarily provided to police.

He said Montzka’s admissions to police were only made after he was confronted with the CCTV footage.

He also said Montzka’s Queensland criminal history was particularly concerning given how often he reoffended in the past three or four years.

“It’s just constant, constant property offending where he will go to jail, he will get released, he’ll commit new offences,” he said.

Montzka has criminal records in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria including a Supreme Court sentence in Rockhampton in 2021 for possessing 6.8 grams, 4.8g pure, for personal use.

He was sentenced in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on October 30, 2022 to a two-year prison term for driving, property and dishonesty offences.

Montzka was released on parole on June 29, 2023, and tested positive for amphetamines and methamphetamines within two months.

He was on parole at the time of this offending.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said Montzka, who had a dysfunctional childhood, had worked in the labour industry when not in custody, working in a factory and traffic control.

She said he associated with negative peers in his early teens and developed an addiction to heroin which he overcame in 2009.

However, she said her client started using methamphetamines and that “became a constant problem”.

She said Montzka has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and borderline personality disorder and had undertaken rehabilitation courses while in prison.

“He was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time (of the offending),” she said.

Montzka pleaded guilty to break and enter premises, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing tainted property being cash and possessing a knife in a public place.

Judge Clarke said this latest set of offences by Montzka, who was a recidivist property offender, was a “clear escalation” of his past offending.

He sentenced Montzka to four years in prison, cumulative on the Kingaroy Magistrates Court sentence, taking into account but not declaring 160 days presentence custody and ordering he be eligible for parole on April 13, 2025.