Trespass while ‘hiding’ out

A MAN was “walking in bushland” when he saw some cars, feared they contained outlaw motorcycle gang members that were “after him”, so he trespassed onto a highly secured property and hid under a house.

A MAN was “walking in bushland” when he saw some cars, feared they contained outlaw motorcycle gang members that were “after him”, so he trespassed onto a highly secured property and hid under a house.

Dale Selwyn Murphy pleaded guilty on Monday in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of trespass.

Police prosecutor Mark Platt said the property at Gracemere, was a single storey home, with steel fencing surrounding it and several sheds and garages outside that house yard which were surrounded by security fence of timber and wire and gate attached. He said about 4pm the defendant entered the house yard and an underneath area of the dwelling, staying about five hours.

Mr Platt said the victim came out after hearing a noise linked to the garage door and found the defendant inside his garage and called police.

“He told police he was hiding and believed he was being chased by an outlaw motorcycle gang,” he said.

Defence lawyer Megan Jones said Murphy has schizophrenia, split personality disorder and Parkinson’s disease and had been determined by health professionals as fit to plead.

She said he had been walking in bushland when cars approached and he thought they were “after him”.

Murphy was released immediately on parole on March 6, 2019, after pleading guilty in the Supreme Court to possessing 11g of methamphetamine.

Murphy was ordered to pay a $400 fine and a conviction was recorded for the trespass offence.