Dylan Julian Simmons sentenced for unlawful entry of a vehicle, stealing

A man who thought a possum was in his car got the fright of his life when he realised a drugged-up thief had accidentally locked himself inside. Things then took a wild turn.

Dylan Julian Simmons, 31, was supported by his parents in the Maroochydore District Court public gallery as he was sentenced over a violent car robbery in Yandina in November 2022.

A Sunshine Coast man was chased away by an angry car owner armed with a metal rod after he was caught locked in a vehicle he was trying to pilfer, a court has been told.

Dylan Julian Simmons, 31, was supported by his parents in the Maroochydore District Court public gallery as he was sentenced over a violent car robbery in Yandina in November 2022.

Crown prosecutor Rhys Byrne said Simmons had targeted a man and his father living on acreage at Yandina, who were alerted to the intruder after realising something was in the son’s car.

The court was told Simmons was mistaken for a possum trapped inside the vehicle, which had been unlocked at the time but Simmons had somehow locked himself inside.

When Simmons was approached by the car owner, he pulled his shirt over his face. The owner ordered for him to get out of the car.

Simmons then grabbed a hammer from inside the vehicle and threatened to kill the man before he smashed the back windshield and climbed out of the car with several of the man’s belongings.

Mr Byrne said some of these belongings were dropped as Simmons tried to flee, but the car owner was handed a steel rod and chased after him with it.

The neighbours to the property, whom found Simmons in their backyard at one point during the melee, called the police and Simmons was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.

The court was told Simmons was affected by a methamphetamine at the time.

Barrister Peter Slipper said Simmons’ parents had been “enormously supportive” of their son even after the incident which landed him in court.

Mr Slipper said his client only picked up the hammer when the victim picked up the metal rod, which Judge Gary Long disagreed with.

He noted Simmons had chosen to run away from the scene instead of staying to fight.

He said Simmons does not intend to return to court again.

Simmons pleaded guilty to stealing and unlawfully entering a vehicle with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, to be served after prison sentences he was already serving were complete.

Judge Long set a parole eligibility date as of today.

Only one day of his 457 days in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

Convictions were recorded.