Jade Laing pleads guilty to driving Adam Towle-McCully, Aaron Towle-Cotter to Tewantin burglary
A Noosaville woman has admitted driving her boyfriend and his brother to an elderly couple’s home where the men committed a bungled burglary.
Police & Courts
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A Noosaville supermarket worker has admitted to her role in a burglary of an elderly couple’s home after driving two brothers to the property.
Jade Laing accepted her involvement in the bungled home invasion in broad daylight with her boyfriend Adam James Towle-McCully and his younger brother Aaron Ben Towle-Cotter on July 11, 2022.
Maroochydore District Court heard the Noosaville woman, who was dating the man seven years her senior, drove the siblings to the suburban Tewantin home.
Crown prosecutor Rhys Byrne said the brothers entered the home and stole property from a couple in their 60s, which included bank cards and other documents.
During the brothers' sentence hearing, the court was told the couple interrupted their burglary with the elderly husband assaulted by the pair before they fled to Laing’s car.
Mr Byrne said Laing aided her boyfriend and was being sentenced for driving them to the Tewantin home knowing a burglary would take place.
The 22-year-old was tied to the scene after her fingerprint was found on a side gate, however it was not alleged she entered the property.
The crown prosecutor said Laing also drove her boyfriend to the Department of Main Roads where Towle-McCully tried to get a replacement licence in the victim’s name, even though he did not look like a 63-year-old man.
Laing was charged with assault in company of the two brothers however this was formally withdrawn in court on Thursday.
She instead entered pleas of guilty to enter dwelling and commit and attempted fraud.
Defence barrister Damien Gates submitted Laing’s boyfriend acted erratically the day of the home invasion but thought he was not using ice again.
Mr Gates told the court the trio was out for breakfast when Towle-McCully randomly identified the home and stated he had an interest in it.
He told the court Laing was not using drugs.
Judge Paul Smith was however sceptical of Laing’s naivety that she wasn’t aware her boyfriend was on drugs.
“He’s full of ice and she didn’t know it?”, Judge Smith queried.
Her barrister said she probably should have had some input into her boyfriend's behaviour or separated herself from those circumstances. She has since cut off the relationship.
The court heard the Sunshine Beach High School graduate was a qualified hairdresser but worked at her local supermarket in the meantime.
Judge Smith accepted Laing was hard working and ordinarily a decent person, and said it appeared her problems were due to her relationship with Towle-McCully.
Laing was placed on a 12-month probation order with no conviction recorded.
Towle-Cotter pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing, assault in company and wilful damage, while Towle-McCully pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in company, burglary and stealing, common assault and attempted fraud during their sentence hearing in July.
The younger brother was sentenced to two years’ jail but given immediate parole.
The older brother was sentenced to three years’ jail and will be released on parole on November 22.
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