REVEALED: This week’s wildest Coast court cases
From drug deals gone wrong, stabbings, club brawls and a drink driving mum’s crash, here are 10 of the wildest cases to go through Coast courts this week.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From drug deals gone wrong, stabbings, club brawls and a drink driving mum’s crash, here are 10 of the wildest cases to go through Coast courts this week.
Drug trafficker jailed over plan to steal ‘hectic Subie’
A young dad has been dealt more jail time after organising a drug deal in which his friends robbed their customer with a 15cm knife.
Harrison Ethan Desmond Farley, 20, was serving a four-year prison sentence for drug trafficking when he appeared by video at Maroochydore District Court on Thursday morning.
He pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery with actual violence while in company for a drug deal turned sour on November 20, 2018.
Farley had only two entries on his criminal history when he organised for an acquaintance, who he knew through TAFE, to buy drugs off his friend.
Arrest warrant issued for man facing assault charge
“From there, the defendant and (co-offender) planned to rob the complainant and take his car,” crown prosecutor Will Slack said.
Farley arranged for two co-offenders to meet their customer at Kilcoy.
The court heard he texted one of them saying the victim had a “hectic twin-turbo Subie” and that he should steal it so they could go halves.
Farley was not at the crime scene when the men approached the victim in broad daylight with a knife.
“The knife was six inches in length and (a co-offender) put the knife to the complainant’s throat,” Mr Slack said.
“And there were threats to stab the complainant.”
Farley was sentenced to six months’ jail to be served cumulatively on his current sentence imposed in the Supreme Court.
He was given a parole eligibility of October 21 this year.
His two co-offenders had previously been jailed for the robbery.
Singer avoids jail after stabbing former partner
A singer songwriter has avoided jail time after stabbing her former partner with a knife.
Maroochydore District Court heard Keely Eggmolesse was in a toxic relationship with her partner of three years when a heated argument broke out on April 24, 2018.
Crown prosecutor Will Slack said “tensions were high” after the couple had been drinking at Eggmolesse’s Nambour home throughout the day.
“Late in the afternoon, the defendant’s mother heard them arguing and she attempted to gain access to the garage but this was prevented by the defendant,” Mr Slack said.
“The defendant also prevented the complainant from leaving the garage that afternoon.
“The defendant armed herself with a knife, became aggressive and swung it at the complainant and it struck him in the rib cage on the left side of his body.”
The man, in his 20s, was taken to hospital with a 1cm puncture wound to his chest.
Eggmolesse was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, suspended immediately for two years.
Drink-driving mum ends up in school carpark after crash
A drink driving mum who ended up in a primary school carpark after crashing her car will now be cycling her kids around in a trailer for the next two years.
Sara May Cowan, 35, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday to four charges including drink driving and driving while disqualified.
Police prosecutor Stu Lydford told the court police saw Cowan swerving over marked lines on Yandina Coolum Rd, Coolum Beach, on December 13 and activated their sirens.
Senior Sergeant Lydford said Cowan stopped in an unsafe location.
“Police spoke to the driver through the passenger window and directed her to move it up the road,” he said.
“The vehicle moved back into the line of traffic and continued towards the roundabout.
“The vehicle accelerated and overtook a few cars.”
The court heard Cowan side swiped another car as she attempted to merge into the roundabout.
“This forced the vehicle to turn left into School Rd and then accelerate down School Rd into a cul-de-sac and crashed over the gutter into a footpath and nature strip,” Sen-Sgt Lydford said.
“It lasted about another 50m before coming to a rest at the Coolum primary school car park.”
Cowan was arrested and breathalysed at the police station, returning a reading of 0.141.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined $1500 and disqualified her from driving for two-and-a-half years.
FIFO engineer builds marijuana hydro set up as ‘hobby’
A qualified engineer who built a hydroponic marijuana set up for a “hobby project” was planning to make oil for personal use.
Dion Wesley Hetherington, 41, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday to four charges, including producing and possessing dangerous drugs.
Police prosecutor Stu Lydford told the court police raided a Peachester property on March 11 where they found Hetherington at home with his wife and children.
“He immediately took police to the rear of the property, unlocked the padlock of the concrete water tank, which he had made look like a shed inside the tank,” he said.
The court heard there was a hydroponic set up inside the shed, with four marijuana plants.
“He also showed detectives to the garage where he had some clipseal bags containing seeds,” Senior Sergeant Lydford said.
He said Hetherington had set up the system a few months before to grow marijuana for recreational use.
The court heard the total weight of marijuana was 655g.
Hetherington’s lawyer, Elizabeth Davey, said Hetherington was an electrical and instrumentation technician on a fly in, fly out basis for a service provider for a CSG company.
“He holds a number of qualifications as well, namely Certificate III in engineering,” she said.
“On why he went from not using to building his own hydro set up, he instructs that as an electrician the mechanical construction of the set up interested him as a hobby project,” Ms Davey said.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined Hetherington $1300 for all offences with convictions not recorded.
Dealer says he pulled out after mate ‘almost died’
A drug dealer told police he “pulled out” of the trade after his friend almost died in his arms.
Samuel James Woodman, 21, received an intensive correction order in Maroochydore District Court today after police raided his Little Mountain home in September last year.
Crown prosecutor Will Slack said they found 8g of marijuana, 1.5g of pure MDMA in 10 tablets, and $2400 in cash.
A notebook with a tick sheet and messages on Woodman’s phone was said to be evidence he had supplied MDMA on 10 occasions and marijuana oil on three occasions.
“It’s the crown’s submission that these supplies were for a commercial purpose.”
No bail for man accused of robbing pharmacy
Mr Slack said Woodman was caught driving with drugs in his system twice while he was on bail for the offences.
Woodman on Tuesday confirmed his guilty plea to 19 charges including nine counts of supplying a dangerous drug.
Mr Turner said an officer asked Woodman why he then stopped dealing to which he replied “because it’s not the right thing to do”.
“Apart from the fact that I felt like I almost had my mate die in my arms because of this s---, I just went ‘this is stupid’ and I woke up to myself and I pulled out,” Woodman said to police in the interview.
Judge Glen Cash sentenced Woodman to 12 months’ jail to be served in the community as an intensive correction order with conditions including drug testing, reporting to an officer twice a week, and receiving counselling.
The convictions were recorded.
No bail for Coast man charged with importing weapons
A 44-year-old man accused of importing weapons will spend another night in a watch house after he didn’t apply for bail.
Gary Kenneth Kassulke sat with his face in his hands as he appeared by video link at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday morning to face seven charges.
Police will allege Australian Border Force officers working in international mail processing in Sydney and Brisbane intercepted a series of packages addressed to the Pelican Waters man.
It’s alleged the packages contained firearm suppressors and an automatic knife.
Police arrested Kassulke on July 9 at his Pelican Waters home where Australian Border Force officers allegedly seized 31 firearm suppressors and one mobile phone.
TAB worker jailed for gambling $177K in 3hrs
A tab worker immediately realised the trouble he was in after using company money to place $177,000 in bets over three hours.
Jason Robert Hill, 47, called his wife to tell her he was driving to the police station after making 220 bets on a Keno Heads or Tails game on March 1 last year.
Maroochydore District Court on Thursday heard the Tabcorp employee had been told by his manager he was, under no circumstances, allowed to place a bet for himself or any other person on Keno.
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Hill began placing bets at a Golden Beach TAB about 9.45am and lost $1300 of his own money before turning to Tabcorp’s credit.
Drug trafficker jailed over plan to steal ‘hectic Subie’
Over three hours he was captured on CCTV footage placing $177,000 in bets.
He won some of the bets but was left with a final debt of $91,664.
Judge Glen Cash sentenced Hill to three years’ jail, suspended after six months.
Man caught with rifle, knife heading to servo
A man who was caught with a rifle and a knife while riding a pushbike to a service station has narrowly avoided jail time.
Ross Williams, 37, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday to 21 charges including drug driving, evading police and possessing a rifle and knives.
Police prosecutor Stuart Lydford told the court Williams dangerously drove a moped with a passenger on Coolum Beach esplanade on October 26, last year.
The court heard Williams had evaded police for more than 100m before they caught up to him.
Sergeant Lydford said he would be generous enough to suggest a fine for the evading police offence as Williams wanted to return to his home state of Victoria after a relationship breakdown with his partner last year.
“Given the fact that the evade was the least serious evade police could have had on the job, a fine would be suitable – two clowns on a moped were never going to get far,” he said.
The court heard that after being intercepted by police, Williams tested positive in a roadside drug test and was found to have methamphetamine.
Sergeant Lydford said Williams was caught on April 8 with a rifle and a knife while on a pushbike and was also found with methamphetamine.
“It is a little bit concerning that in the wee hours of the morning he’s riding his push bike to a service station with a rifle,” he said.
Magistrate Rod Madsen jailed Williams for six months but immediately released him on parole.
Williams was fined $6672.50 for evading police and disqualified from driving for two years and four months.
Victim’s lip torn from cheek in dance floor thump
A Buderim man’s unprovoked punch at a nightclub tore his victim’s lip from his cheek and left him unconscious, a court has heard.
Bowen John Daley, 24, punched a 21-year-old man on the dance floor of The Post Office Bar and Beer Garden in Maroochydore after the pair bumped into each other in late March.
Drug trafficker jailed over plan to steal ‘hectic Subie’
Arrest warrant issued for man facing assault charge
Daley, who pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court’s Murri Court on Thursday to assault causing bodily harm, failed to provide assistance after the attack and was later found by police with a cut and blood on his knuckles.
Police prosecutor Nichale Bool said the nature of the offence increased the seriousness of the sentence and suggested a 12-month prison term with a third to be served.
“The victim suffered a laceration to his face which … the tear in his check required internal and external stitches to repair the damage,” she said.
She said a photograph of the injury showed the man’s lip had torn away from the side of his cheek.
“At the point that you can pretty much see directly into the side of the mouth, (it) portrays just how serious the injury was.”
“This scar is something that this man will have to live with for the rest of his life.”
Daley was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay $1500 in compensation to the victim.
VAMPIRE LUNGE: Woman tries to bite cop’s neck
A Yandina woman threatened to choke a police officer with a “chunk of skin” she was going to bite from her neck, a court has heard.
Police were investigating another matter at Dayna Margaret Smart’s home on March 8 when the 37-year-old attacked an officer.
Singer avoids jail after stabbing former partner
Bus driver breaks down after sickening sex assault
Police prosecutor Amanda Brewer said the offence was one of the most disturbing of the 23 charges to which Smart pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday.
“The defendant lunged at a police officer attempting to bite her on the throat and threatened to choke her with the lump that she would take out from that bite,” Senior Constable Brewer said.
“She opened her mouth wide and lunged at the victim, attempting to bite her neck.”
Smart was also charged with one count of threatening violence after an outburst at a Yandina hardware store on May 8.
Senior Constable Brewer said Smart was approached by the victim after they had witnessed her stealing when she threatened to burn down the establishment.
“The defendant said, ‘I’ll f------ burn your f------ shop down c---’, which was extremely distressing to the victim and caused great anxiety and concern.”
Smart was sentenced to six months jail with a parole release date of August 10.
WATCH: Police allege man gave drugs, sexually assaulted teen girl
New information can be revealed about a Queensland man who police allege groomed, sexually abused and gave drugs to an underage teen. VIDEO.
Amateur pilot’s bizarre ‘White House’ court claim
An amateur pilot says he has weekly calls to the Donald Trump administration as he pushes to have multiple charges linked to his capability to fly planes dismissed.