Burnett’s region’s thieves and fraudsters revealed
From a pig farmer who scammed a business out of more than $300K to a trucker lying to avoid COVID quarantine, here are the people who pleaded guilty to theft or fraud in South Burnett courts.
Police & Courts
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There’s been no shortage of thieves and fraudsters standing before Burnett court’s in recent years, from a business owner swindling a finance company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars to an aged care worker robbing a little old lady while she showered.
Here are the circumstances surrounding some of the most shocking frauds, burglaries and thefts to take place in and around the region.
Blackbutt woman jailed for role in crime spree causing $88k in damages
A Blackbutt woman was jailed for her role in an $88,000 crime spree that spanned a month and saw a car torched and a stolen cash machine dragged down a road.
Jasmyn Jan Strokarck, 31, pleaded guilty in the Kingaroy District Court to six charges, including two counts of entering a premise and stealing, two counts of unlawfully using a motor vehicle, wilful damage and fraud.
Crown Prosecutor Christa Nicola told the court Strokarck and two men kicked off the spree when they entered a residential shed on April 11 and stole tools and a Toyota HiLux worth $48,000, which was eventually found burned in a forest.
The offending escalated two days later when a co-offender used a drill to unscrew an automatic payment machine at a car wash, wrapped a chain around the cash machine and attached it to the back of a car before driving away, dragging it down the road.
Strokarck was sentenced to two years’ jail, with her parole release date set for January 18, 2022.
Full story HERE
Jail time for spree against Kingaroy, Murgon businesses
A Murgon man has been sentenced to two years’ jail after pleading guilty to a string of offences.
Clayton Alfred Davidson, 33, faced Kingaroy Magistrates Court for two counts of stealing, unlawful entry of vehicles, breach of bail and the possession of drugs and drug-related utensils.
The string of thefts started on March 18, 2020, at Murgon when Davidson stole a black T-shirt from Target.
Between May and June, Davidson unlawfully entered a motor vehicle in Murgon, stole meat from the Murgon IGA, unlawfully entered a car in Kingaroy, and broke into Kevin F J Woods Solicitors and stole a laptop and a cheque book.
He also entered the South Burnett Regional Council building and stole sound producing equipment, before breaking into the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services in Kingaroy and committing an indictable offence.
Davidson was sentenced to two years in jail and will be eligible for parole on November 26.
Full story HERE
How a pig farmer conned a finance company out of more than $300K
A South Burnett pig farmer scammed a finance business out of more than $300,000 by falsifying bank statements, letters, contact details and even providing a non-existent accountant, all to keep her failing businesses afloat.
While working as the director of Sovereigndale Pastoral Company, which grows and sells hay, business owner Amanda Magee, 37, applied for a hefty loan from the victim company TIM Finance.
The 37-year-old obtained the money under the ruse it was to supply four fabricated clients with $482,641 worth of goods.
Magee pleaded guilty in Kingaroy District Court to one count of fraud and was sentenced to five years’ jail, to be suspended after she serves 14 months.
Full story HERE
BAD HAIR DAY: Woman sentenced for stealing $35k from hairdresser
The Murgon Magistrates court heard how a woman stole a significant amount of money from a small town hairdresser by posing as a business consultant over a three-year period, while she steadily drained the business’s funds.
Felicity Ann Evans appeared in court on February 26 and pleaded guilty to one count of stealing.
The court heard Evans had been withdrawing funds ranging between $20 and $5500 from the business account throughout 2013-2016.
Evans was sentenced to two years’ jail, wholly suspended.
She left the court with a clear warning if she reoffended in the next two years she would face actual time behind bars.
Evans was also ordered to pay the full amount of $35,000 back to Ms Oberle.
Full story HERE
Blue Care worker charged for stealing from ‘little old lady’
A 55-year-old Wondai aged care worker was fined $750 for helping herself to her 78-year-old client‘s purse.
Noreen Wessling, 55, pleaded guilty to all five charges of stealing at Murgon Magistrates Court.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stevens said despite the insignificant amount of money, it was a gross breach of trust.
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair read the list of charges, spanning from March 24 – 20 April, with the total amount of money stolen coming to $73.55.
Magistrate Sinclair fined Wessling $750 and ordered her to pay back the remaining $18.55 for compensation.
Full story HERE
Kingaroy man’s huge fine for lying about COVID hotspot visit
A Kingaroy man who travelled from a Victorian COVID hotspot into Queensland, providing false information on his border declaration form was fined thousands of dollars.
John William Fredric Whyatt pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with COVID-19 public health direction and one count of fraud, dishonestly gaining benefit or advantage at Kingaroy Magistrates Court on October 12.
The court heard Whyatt was working driving a truck through South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria before obtaining a border pass and travelling into Queensland.
On July 11, he drove from a Victorian depot in Leitchville, travelling across the Victoria and New South Wales border before making his way to Goondiwindi where he crossed into Queensland.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Pepe Gangemi told the court the defendant would not have been allowed into Queensland if he had provided the correct information on his border declaration form.
Whyatt was convicted and fined $6803.
Full story HERE
Girlfriend’s chilling words as search for young man drags on
As the search for 27-year-old Jack McLennan rounded out its seventh day, his girlfriend revealed a chilling assessment of the increasingly grim situation.
Everybody appearing at Kingaroy Magistrates Court, Friday, October 11
Here is a list of matters listed at Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Friday.