Man pleads guilty in Warwick court to smashing car windscreen with fist in violent frenzy

The Warwick court heard the man then fled the scene and led police on a car chase with meth in his system. He was only one of the drug offenders sentenced this week.

IN COURT: These were the residents sentenced for drug offences in Warwick Magistrates Court this week. Picture: file

A man who punched and kicked another man’s car until the windscreen smashed before fleeing the scene with meth in his system was just one of the drug offenders sentenced in Warwick court over the past week.

Martin Roy Rudolph and his victim were at the Stanthorpe Hotel late at night on July 29, 2018, with tensions between the pair exploding into a confrontation in the car park.

The Warwick Magistrates Court heard the other man got into a waiting sedan to leave the pub, at which point the then-40-year-old attacked the car to “get at” the victim.

Police prosecutor Barry Stevens said Rudolph punched and kicked the sedan before smashing the windscreen with his fist, “intimidating” the victim and leaving him in fear of being assaulted.

Rudolph and an unnamed male co-accused then fled the scene in a van, leading police on a short car chase until coming to a stop on a no-through road.

Sergeant Stevens said the father surrendered into police custody and a roadside saliva test revealed meth in his system.

The court heard Rudolph also failed to appear in court as required twice over the past two years.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook said his client first met the victim about two months before their violent altercation, which was the escalation of an ongoing conflict between the pair.

Mr Crook said the disputes centred around the other man’s girlfriend leaving him to begin a relationship with Rudolph, as well as claims the victim stole Rudolph’s grandmother’s car and threatened his brother’s safety.

The former NSW resident appeared in the Warwick court no prior criminal or traffic history.

Rudolph pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to appear and one count each of threatening violence, wilful damage, drug driving, and unlicensed driving.

He was fined $1550 and disqualified from driving for three months.

No criminal conviction was recorded.

These were the other residents sentenced for drug offending in the Warwick court this week:

David Ronald McGowan fronted court after he was busted with a stash of drugs and utensils in his car.

Police pulled over the 55-year-old for a routine check in Killarney on June 11, where a search of his car uncovered about 26g of marijuana along with five Diazepam tablets.

McGowan was also carrying three hypodermic syringes, two pipes, and a set of scales, all of which he declared to police.

The court heard he also admitted to using the items for marijuana and methamphetamines.

Mr Crook told the court McGowan and his partner were moving house at the time and he’d bagged up the drug-related items to throw away, but was caught before he could do so.

McGowan pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils, and failing to dispose of a needle.

He was fined $450.

Jessica May Doumany was taken off the road for a month after she was nabbed drug driving with a secret stash of marijuana in her car.

Police responded to calls about the 32-year-old’s dangerous manner of driving on the New England Highway at Glengallan just before 10am on April 13.

A roadside drug test revealed meth in Doumany’s system, and a police search uncovered almost 34g marijuana in her car.

The court heard the Warwick woman turned to drugs to cope with the “traumatic” loss of her husband, but had since stopped using and was focused on rehabilitation.

Doumany pleaded guilty to drug driving and possessing dangerous drugs.

She was fined $800 and no conviction was recorded.

Nathan William Britt appeared in Warwick Magistrates Court on a number of drug charges via videolink from custody.

He was pulled over on Jackie Howe Drive at about 8.20pm on May 28, where he was found in possession of 0.4g meth along with a glass pipe and four hypodermic needles stuffed in a door cavity.

A check of the 28-year-old’s licence revealed it was disqualified prior to the offending.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman said Britt was self-medicating with drugs at the time, with his partner’s miscarriage a year ago sparking a “significant drug spree”.

She added her client was introduced to marijuana as early as eight years old, but was determined to turn his life around for the sake of his children.

Britt pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils, drug driving, unlicensed driving, and failing to properly dispose of a syringe.

He was fined $1400 and disqualified from driving for two years and three months.