Keith John Dyball: Drug trafficker steals $15k in cash from meth supplier, coordinates second burglary

A convicted meth trafficker has again faced court after he stole thousands of dollars in cash from his own supplier and was connected to yet another burglary.

A convicted drug trafficker who stole $15,000 in cash from one of his criminal associates and helped co-ordinate another destructive burglary attempt has faced the Warwick court.

Keith John Dyball first landed in hot water on October 28, 2019 when he was busted via phone intercept telling another man that “this needed to be the night” for his accomplice to break into the Queenslander Hotel at Goondiwindi.

Warwick District Court was told the other man cut a padlock to gain entry to the pub’s rear entrance and smashed several windows to gain entry to the building, where he then pulled down the security systems before unsuccessfully trying to remove the safe from the wall.

Crown prosecutor Bernard Berger said it was only weeks later on November 12 that Dyball and a different co-accused went to the home of a person he was sourcing meth from as part of a drug trafficking ring at the time.

Mr Berger said the now-35-year-old first waited outside while his accomplice searched the unoccupied house, with the pair sending text messages about where cash might be stashed inside.

“That co-accused then leaves and essentially the defendant then enters the property after the fact, having known that information, and then proceeds to steal a sum of $15,000 from within that dwelling,” he said.

Dyball was sentenced to eight years’ jail in the Toowoomba Supreme Court last year for trafficking ice to 35 people, including people as young as 16, and unlawfully supplying guns.

The Warwick court was told the drug trafficking conviction was only the most recent entry in the man’s lengthy criminal history, which was filled with property-related or violent offending.

Defence barrister Jessica Goldie said Dyball’s crimes were fuelled by his drug addiction at the time, which was one he had battled for most of his life after suffering abuse as a child.

She said Dyball had completed several rehabilitation courses and qualifications during his 657 days in custody, and read a letter from him to the court revealing the changes in his life since getting clean.

“Ice made all of my feelings go away and made me feel better at the time. It blocked all my bad memories and I did not think about nothing (sic),” Ms Goldie read.

“I’ve learnt how to speak about what’s happened instead of using drugs, and I will never use drugs again.”

Judge Nathan Jarro acknowledged Dyball’s rehabilitation progress, but warned he no longer had the benefit of youth or minimal history if he fell back into his criminal patterns.

“Your offending has to stop, otherwise what’s going to happen - and you know this - is you’re going to be spending a lot of time in prison,” he said.

“What will become of that is you will become institutionalised.”

Dyball pleaded guilty to one count each of break and enter premises, wilful damage, burglary, and stealing.

He was sentenced to three years’ jail to be served alongside his current term, and his parole eligibility will remain fixed at June 7.