Jaime John Abbas: Warwick repeat offender sentenced for breaching bail, receiving tainted property

A Warwick man still serving sentences for supplying meth and several drug driving offences has landed in hot water again, this time breaching bail and being busted with stolen property within days of his release from custody. FULL REPORT:

A Warwick repeat offender has been warned he is now “on notice” after being brought before the courts yet again, this time for breaching his bail within just days of his release from police custody and being busted with suspected stolen property.

Warwick Magistrates Court was told Jaime John Abbas was arrested and charged with a string of property-related offences on June 13, and was granted bail within 24 hours.

Police prosecutor Andrew Grafton said it was some time within the next three days that Abbas received number plates that had been taken from a Volkswagen sedan parked at a Morgan Park home.

The 26-year-old was then spotted behind the wheel of a black hatchback with the stolen registration plates attached on Forde St, Allora on June 16.

Sergeant Grafton said Abbas was not only driving despite his licence being disqualified, but was later seen on CCTV footage sitting in the vehicle talking to an associate he was banned from contacting under the conditions of his release on bail only days earlier.

The Warwick court heard Abbas breached the same bail order again earlier this week when he was busted failing to meet his curfew, with police checking in at his home address within the designated hours and finding he was missing.

Sergeant Grafton said Abbas blamed intoxication for missing his curfew hours when he was brought to the police station early Tuesday morning, but had no alcohol in his system when he was breathalysed.

Abbas was kept in custody at the Warwick watch-house until his court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.

He was under both a probation order for supplying meth and a 12-month licence disqualification following his fifth drug driving conviction at the time of this latest offending.

Duty lawyer Amber Acreman described her client’s driving record as “unhelpful”, saying it was Abbas’s mother who tracked him down and took him to the police station the day of his arrest.

“He’s certainly learning the hard way, and self-medicating with drugs to cope with a relationship breakdown has proven costly for him,” she said.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said the stolen number plates were clearly an attempt to disguise Abbas’s identity, but warned the Warwick man receiving tainted property only provided a market for thieves and was not the “easy way out” compared to actual stealing.

“This is your first disqualified driving offence, but if it is not your last, Mr Abbas, you will be going to jail for disqualified driving,” Ms Sturgess said.

“Unless you smarten up your act, you will get caught again.”

Abbas pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching bail and one each of receiving tainted property and disqualified driving.

He was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for two years.