Roofer Jake John Reading faces court six years after smashing woman’s car up

The long arm of the law has caught up with a roofer in Central Queensland for an offence he committed at the Sunshine Coast in 2016. Full details here.

Central Queensland roofer Jake John Reading has worked hard and stayed out of trouble for the past six years - and that certainly helped him when he faced court this month for a historical offence from 2016.

The 30-year-old pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on May 5 to one count of wilful damage.

The court heard that Reading’s offending happened at Kiels Mountain (a rural locality in the Sunshine Coast region) on August 8, 2016.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said Reading had been in an “on again-off again” intimate relationship with the female victim for about five months when the incident occurred.

Sgt Ongheen said on August 8, 2016, the woman drove from her place at North Lakes to Reading’s residence, which was a small flat on a large property away from the main house there.

She got to Reading’s flat about 8.45pm in her white Mitsubishi Lancer.

“She arrived unannounced... she parked her car under the carport attached to his house,” Sgt Ongheen said.

Sgt Ongheen said the woman’s young child was asleep in the back of the car at the time.

He said prior to her arrival, Reading had been consuming alcohol at “the main house”.

Sgt Ongheen said Reading walked over to speak with the woman and he asked her to leave “several times”.

“(The woman) would not leave until she was allowed to collect some personal property from (Reading’s) address,” Sgt Ongheen said.

The prosecutor said a heated verbal argument took place between the pair and Reading grabbed a hammer from the carport and hit the woman’s car “several times” with it, using “significant force.”

Reading then returned to the main house and the woman called police.

Sgt Ongheen said the woman was not able to start her car to leave due to issues with the battery.

Police spoke to the woman at the scene and she did not make any official complaint of wilful damage at that point.

Police took photographs of the damage to the vehicle.

RACQ was called to assist the woman with the car.

The woman subsequently went to a police station and lodged a wilful damage complaint and provided a statement.

A quote for damage repairs, totalling $807.90, was also provided to police.

Sgt Ongheen said police attempted to contact Reading on “numerous occasions” including attending his residence and leaving messages, but Reading had not co-operated during investigations.

He said Reading’s brother told police Reading was working interstate.

An arrest warrant was obtained.

Solicitor Krissy Cummins said she wanted to clarify that it was not until March 1, 2018, that the victim went to the police station with the quote for damage repairs.

“So it’s some 18 months after the alleged offence,” Ms Cummins said.

Ms Cummins also said that during the past six years, Reading, a roofer, had spent the past four of them working in Queensland after a two-year stint working in Western Australia.

“He (Reading) hasn’t, until about six weeks ago, been made aware of the charge,” Ms Cummins said.

“Your Honour, I ask that you take into account it is an early plea of guilty.”

Ms Cummins said the restitution amount had been paid in full prior to Reading’s appearance in court, and the prosecution noted that it had received documentation to support that.

Ms Cummins tendered two character references for Reading.

She said while Reading was on a suspended sentence at the time of committing this offence in 2016, he had not been in trouble with the law at all since.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale took that into consideration and she fined Reading $400 with no conviction recorded.