Warren Jon Mason jailed for possessing meth, strangulation

A miner caught in the grips of methamphetamine addiction carried out an attempted armed robbery to pay off a drug debt and tried to choke his partner over her infidelity with a seat belt.

Methamphetamine generic

A miner caught up in the grips of methamphetamine addiction carried out an attempted armed robbery to pay off a drug debt and tried to choke his former long-term partner over her infidelity with a seat belt, a court heard.

Warren Jon Mason was using so much of the illicit drug at the time he carried out the offences, he has little recollection of his actions, the Supreme Court in Rockhampton heard on December 4.

Justice Graeme Crow said Mason dropped his attempted armed robbery co-offender, whose face was disguised and armed with a machete, on Burnett St in Berserker on February 26, 2023, about 6.40pm.

The target tobacconist shop was around the corner on Musgrave St and Mason went on to manoeuvre the vehicle into position for a fast getaway.

Justice Crow said there were two people in the store – the 25-year-old male victim and his girlfriend playing cards – when the men entered while armed.

Justice Crow said the victim saw a white male had run into the store with their arm raised above their head, holding a machete in one hand and a large duffel bag in the other.

“He started swinging the machete as he crashed the counter,” Justice Crow said.

He said the victim picked up the chair he had been sitting on in an attempt to protect himself and as the bandana man grabbed the cash register, the victim threw the chair at him.

The bandana man fled the scene and jumped in the car Mason was waiting in.

The victim pressed the panic button located behind the counter and then the police were called.

Mason was intercepted by police 11 days later for a license check and detained for a search in which police found him in possession of 2.876 grams pure meth in 3.78g of substance.

Justice Crow said eight days later, while Mason was visiting with his grandchildren at his former long-term partner’s residence, he called the woman with whom he had six children with and had been in a relationship with for about 18 years “terrible things”.

The next day, he confronted her about her infidelity.

Instead of answering him, the victim offered to drive him anywhere he wanted.

He said Mason then threatened her “if you get out of this car, I’ll slit your throat”.

Mason reached down to his bag on the floor and the victim thought he was reaching for a knife so the victim started to fight against him to ensure he couldn’t get to a knife.

Mason then grabbed the top of her seatbelt and pushed it against her throat for about five seconds while she gasped for air and struggled to breath.

After releasing the seat belt, Mason hit the victim in the throat with his right hand in a chopping motion.

“(She) was still catching her breath from being choked with the seat belt and hitting her caused her to gasp for breath again,” Justice Crow said.

Mason yelled at her to keep driving which she did and he backhanded her, hitting her just below her left eye and then spat on her, hitting her face and throat.

Justice Crow said the victim was unable to say how many times Mason hit her, but it was many.

After directing the victim to pullover in a suburban street, Mason made her look at her face in a mirror and told her “look at what you made me do”.

After some more driving, the victim admitted her infidelity to Mason and he hit her again in the throat.

The victim got out of the car, removed the car keys and ran down the street.

She returned to the car after seeing Mason had left and she drove straight to a police station.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said three of Mason’s daughters and his former partner – the victim of the strangulation offence – were in the back of the court in support.

Justice Crow said material provided to him stated Mason had been introduced to meth while working at the mines and had started off using it sporadically but became a heavy user over time.

He said four months prior to these offences, Mason went on extended leave from his employment at Blackwater.

“In this period while you weren’t working, your drug usage was at its heaviest,” Justice Crow said.

“You don’t have much recollection of that period at all.

“That includes the offending against your ex partner.

“It includes your involvement in the attempted armed robbery to pay off the drug debt.”

Mason pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted armed robbery, possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug and strangulation of a domestic partner.

Justice Crow sentenced Mason to three years and eight months prison, declared 646 days presentence custody as time served and suspended the sentence after 646 days with a three -year eight-month operational period.

He also placed Mason on a three-year probation order.