Court wrap: Warwick drug offenders, DV, protesters, and more

From a 19yo who broke into a woman’s home and stole her car to a man involved in a vegan protest that saw almost 70 chickens destroyed, these were the people sentenced in the Warwick court recently.

IN COURT: These were the people who pleaded guilty to a range of offences in the Warwick court recently. Picture: file

From a man busted with a box stashed with meth in his car to another who was caught on the wrong side of a vegan activism protest, these were the people sentenced in the Warwick court recently.

Riley Patrick Hawken fronted Warwick Magistrates Court over his involvement in a vegan activism protest at an egg farm that resulted in almost 70 chickens being destroyed.

Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan said the 21-year-old was present when several members of vegan activist group Meat the Victims broke into an egg farm on Canningvale Road in December, 2018.

He stipulated Hawken did not enter the premises himself.

“They’ve climbed or cut some fences, and at that particular time 68 chickens were taken from pens inside … my understanding is the group was going to ‘rescue’ those chickens,” Sergeant Wiggan said.

Sergeant Wiggan said the group’s efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, as the chickens were recovered and then destroyed for biosecurity reasons.

Hawken was charged in January, 2020 after a police search uncovered a photograph of him with one of the stolen animals on another person’s mobile phone.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine told the court her client was involved with the animal activist group for ethical and social reasons, but could see the error of his ways years later.

“He’s a more mature person now and looks back shaking his head, asking ‘what was I thinking?’,” Ms Hine said.

Hawken pleaded guilty to one count of receiving tainted property.

He was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded.

Robert John Lobegeiger pleaded guilty to multiple charges after he was busted with methamphetamines and several drug utensils stashed in his car.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the New South Wales man was found alone in his parked car on Glengallan Road at about 10.30pm on May 14.

The Warwick Magistrates Court heard officers searched the vehicle and located 0.1g meth, a used glass pipe, straws, a bowl, and clip seal bags hidden in a wooden box.

The self-represented Lobegeiger told the court he was in Queensland for his cousin’s funeral and turned to drugs to cope with the loss, but acknowledged it was “a bad decision (he) made”.

He added he had since joined a men’s group to aid his rehabilitation and was regularly drug tested at his job on a railway site.

Lobegeiger pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.

He was fined $500 and no conviction was recorded.

Eilsel Lloyd Cubby appeared in Warwick Magistrates Court to plead guilty to the break-in that spurred a day-long crime spree across the Southern Downs.

The 19-year-old broke into a Redcliffe home between midnight and 10am on January 3, where he went into the bedroom and stole a woman’s handbag and phone.

Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan said Cubby then used the car keys in the bag to steal the resident’s car, which he then drove across the New South Wales border to Casino.

The court heard it was from a Casino home the Warwick man began his next crime spree, stealing another car and using it to illegally jump the border and leading police on a pursuit across the Southern Downs.

Cubby was convicted in the Warwick District Court for that string of offending earlier this month, where he was sentenced to 18 months’ jail with immediate parole.

He pleaded guilty to a further one count each of entering a dwelling to commit an indictable offence and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Cubby was sentenced to two months’ jail with immediate release on parole, which would be served concurrently to the 18-month period.

A Warwick man who sent an onslaught of emails to his ex-partner blaming her for their relationship breakdown was convicted of breaching a domestic violence order.

The Warwick court heard the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sent 74 emails to his ex-partner between January 30 and April 15.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the content of the messages wasn’t threatening in any way, the emails breached the no-contact condition of the domestic violence order.

The self-represented Warwick man claimed he only contacted his ex directly in a desperate attempt to expedite mediation programs.

The man pleaded guilty to one count of contravening a domestic violence order.

He was fined $400.