Father’s standoff after abducting, hiding kids exposed in Warwick Magistrates Court

A Darling Downs dad who made his children hide from police after taking one out of school, and another out of custody, endured a standoff with police which lasted more than an hour.

Picture of pedophile standing at the child room entry

A Darling Downs dad who engaged in an hour-long standoff with police after abducting children from custody has faced court.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one charge of removing a child from custody or guardianship and one charge of obstructing a police officer on Monday in Warwick Magistrates Court.

The man, who “isn’t working but trying to get his kids back,” got word from one of the children that he was being bullied at school, causing him to pick up the child from a Toowoomba school.

The man went to police at Toowoomba, as well as the branch of the Child Protective Services, to which he claimed the latter “refused to speak to him”.

The 40-year-old then went and collected a second child, before taking the two kids to an address, in order to “conceal the location” of the children.

The man was said to be “belligerent and uncooperative” with officers, telling his co-offender “do not help police,” who quickly caught on to his plan.

The man refused to comment on the welfare of the children to the police, and resulted in “over an hour long standoff” at the address.

The children were later recovered.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told the court on Monday the man had a “long criminal history” and had a nine page history committing various offences, as well as breaching orders ranging from DVOs, suspended sentences and community service orders.

The magistrate noted that the man’s co-offender was sentenced in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday, and due to parity sentencing, she would consider a different verdict due to his “difference of conduct, and history”.

“I would suggest you were the main agitator here,” the magistrate said.

The man was slapped with a $1000 fine. Convictions were recorded.