Kingaroy Magistrates Court: Bryce Curtis Soanes sentenced for stealing bank card, multiple drug offences

A South Burnett man sentenced in court on a string of drug and theft charges had trouble keeping his story straight after stealing a man’s debit card from the mail.

A South Burnett man sentenced in court on a string of drug and theft charges had trouble keeping his story straight after stealing a man’s debit card from the mail.

Bryce Curtis Soanes had been walking down a Kingaroy street on May 7 when he was stopped by police for a search, with officers uncovering drug utensils and a Commonwealth Bank card with another person’s name on it.

When asked where the card had come from, the 34-year-old told police different stories claiming the owner was his housemate and then a friend of a friend of his mother’s.

Soanes changed his tune again when a subsequent search revealed both men had lived at the same address at different times, the Kingaroy Magistrates Court heard.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lisa Manns said Soanes told police he’d often receive the victim’s mail and the other man would go and collect it from him.

“(Soanes) said the mail disappeared after a period of time and he believed the victim was collecting it,” she said.

Officers spoke with the victim who confirmed he hadn’t lived at that property for two years and did not got there to collect his mail.

Lawyer Mark Werner said the theft caused minimal detriment to the victim, as the card had not been activated or used.

That same day the father of two was also found in possession of a spoon and a pair of scissors, which he told police he’d used to prepare methamphetamine before injecting it, and chop up marijuana.

Soanes also answered to a number of drug charges dating back to April 4 when he was pulled over by police while driving at Kilcoy.

A search of his car uncovered methamphetamine, hypodermic syringes, and a spoon with burnt residue on the bottom.

Mr Werner noted his client was diagnosed with schizophrenia, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a drug addiction, which Mr Werner said was behind his eight-page criminal history.

Soanes pleaded guilty to theft, possessing dangerous drugs, contravening a police direction, two counts of failing to properly dispose of a syringe, and four counts of possessing drug utensils.

He was sentenced to one month in jail, but was immediately released on a recognisance bond of $1000.