Serial Toowoomba thief Russell William Gilliis faces court for evading police, dangerous operation of a vehicle

A Toowoomba court was told a 27-year-old man was dragged back into a life of crime after he met up with his ex-lover who was on the run from police.  

Russell William Gilliis fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video link from jail on April 11, when he pleaded guilty to 14 crimes.

A Toowoomba man with a long history of breaking into homes and stealing cars, alongside drug crimes, has been jailed after he went on a crime spree just days after being released from prison.

Russell William Gilliis fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video link from jail on April 11, when he pleaded guilty to 14 crimes which included evading police, the dangerous operation of a car while unlicensed, fleeing the scene of two crashes, stealing cars and fuel, and possessing meth.    

The court was told the crime spree occurred between November and December 2022, after the 27-year-old was released from jail on parole for similar offending, which included an occasion where an officer jumped into a stolen car while Gilliis was driving.

The officer was forced to tase Gilliis when he refused to stop the car.

Police prosecutor Cameron Francis said the most serious offending took place on December 3, with the court told that Gilliis drove dangerously through the streets of Toowoomba, where he evaded police, sideswiped a vehicle, and crashed into a car, pushing it into oncoming traffic, totalling both vehicles.

Russell William Gilliis fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video link from jail on April 11, when he pleaded guilty to 14 crimes.

The car was stolen and Gilliis did not have a licence.

Lawyer Claire Graham said Gilliis had good intentions when he was released from prison in late 2022, however he soon fell back into the wrong crowd.

Mrs Graham said a friend of Gilliis, who recently died in a stolen car crash, had driven him to Toowoomba where he then met up with an ex-girlfriend who was on the run from police for stealing cars.

Mrs Graham cautioned against a crushing sentence being imposed upon Gilliiss so he had a chance at rehabilitation, which she said was promising as he had a job lined-up, family support, was clean from drugs.

Magistrate Louise Shephard told Gilliis his actions were intolerable and if he did not address his behaviour, it would not be long before he killed someone or himself.

Gilliis was sentenced to 12 months jail which was to run concurrently with his previous sentence and another 12 months, which would be cumulative.

The magistrate declared 127 days spent in pre-sentence custody as time served, with Gilliis eligible for parole on August 4, 2023. His licence was also disqualified for three years.  

Originally published as Serial Toowoomba thief Russell William Gilliis faces court for evading police, dangerous operation of a vehicle