Bennie Dwayne Mccarthy instructed a child to rob a Warwick jeweller and other local businesses

A man who targeted multiple Warwick businesses earlier this year instructed a child to snatch jewellery from a store in a shopping centre, a court has been told. DETAILS HERE.

An offender who targeted multiple Warwick businesses has been sentenced, with the disturbing details of his spree revealed, which included getting a minor to rob a Warwick jeweller for him on one occasion.

Bennie Dwayne Mccarthy pleaded guilty via videolink from custody on October 25, to seven charges including disposal of tainted property, two charges of enter premise, attempted enter premise, driving an unregistered vehicle, fail to stop for a stop sign and failing to comply with police request to stop vehicle.

During the man’s appearance in Warwick Magistrates Court disturbing information was revealed relating to a series of crimes which targeted the Rose City in July and August of this year.

Bennie Dwayne Mccarthy instructed a child to rob a Warwick jeweller earlier this year (Photo: Facebook)

The court was told the entire affair began on November 22, 2022, when a bicycle was stolen from Forest Lake in Brisbane’s south.

Months later on February 18, Mccarthy pawned the same bike at a business in Ipswich. Police stopped him at a later date and asked him where he got the bicycle from, but he wouldn’t give a name, insisting it was from a friend, prosecutor Sergeant Steve de Lissa said.

This relatively minor offence broke the terms of a suspended sentence from Ipswich Magistrates Court from April 2022.

Returning to the Rose City in the middle of the year, Mccarthy’s short-lasting crime spree began on 31 July.

At 11pm, CCTV picked up a black Audi vehicle on Grafton St, before parking out of view of the camera.

Moments later, two offenders were caught on CCTV in balaclavas, and Mccarthy, in a black Adidas tracksuit, kicked at the door of a Palmerin St tobacconist causing $500 in damages.

Police obtained a search warrant, finding identical bolt cutters and the balaclava and tracksuit he used at his address in Warwick.

Bolt cutters that match the ones used in the break and enter were found at Mccarthy's address Photo: File

Later that evening, CCTV caught the offender trying to break into a menswear business next to the tobacconist, with no entry gained in the attempted break in.

On the afternoon of August 1, a Rose City Shoppingworld business was targeted indirectly by Mccarthy, who had procured a child to try on a 60cm gold chain valued at more than $2000.

The child ran out of the store and delivered the chain to Mccarthy, who was waiting in a car parked nearby.

Later that day, highway patrol observed a black Audi on Wood St at Warwick, driven by the man. Police checks showed the registration had expired a week earlier.

Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but the 32-year-old ran a stop sign and refused to stop, leading to police pulling off the encounter.

Defence lawyer Sarah Campbell said the father of two was introduced to drugs at the age of 13 or 14, and had been “diagnosed with anxiety, depression and schizophrenia”.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess revealed the man had “substantial criminal history” with this occasion not being “the first time (he) had been convicted of enter premise offences”.

“There is no excuse, these offences are serious,” Ms Sturgess said.

“It’s a brazen offence committed by a child with your knowledge and assistance.

“There are only so many times you can ask the court to be lenient, if you can’t stop stealing you’ll end up longer and longer in prison.”

Mccarthy was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, with 84 days in custody declared as time served.

For the three traffic offences, he was convicted and not further punished.

For breaching the suspended sentence for the possession of tainted property charge, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment, suspended for six months.

Mccarthy will be released on parole on January 2, 2024.